


Stir It Up *** Book 2 ** A Fruits Basket Story

by Paper_Chain_Queen



Series: One Love, One Heart * A Fruits Basket Series* [2]
Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Family Secrets, Female Friendship, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Love, Minor Violence, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Spoilers, kyo is bad at feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 198,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23404363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paper_Chain_Queen/pseuds/Paper_Chain_Queen
Summary: Marley feels like the luckiest girl in the world, she has beautiful friends & family, Summer vacation is around the corner, plus her favourite dance studio finally got A/C. But surprises pop up & she wonders about the true nature of the curse & starts digging in. However, someone takes it upon themselves to show the outsider her place. How many more secrets could the Sohma's hide?Book 2 to 'No Woman No Cry'
Relationships: Sohma Hatsuharu/Sohma Rin, Sohma Kyou/Original Female Character(s)
Series: One Love, One Heart * A Fruits Basket Series* [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683628
Comments: 62
Kudos: 38





	1. Stir It Up

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_And so the God wrote many, many invitations._

_He sent them out into the sky, letting the wind take them out into the world._

_And so it came to pass that twelve animals went to see The God._

_After that first occasion, the thirteen animals and the God would have a feast every night that the moon shone bright._

_They sang, danced, and laughed._

_For the first time in his long lonely life, the God was boisterous and laughed in merriment. He never wanted these good to end._

_The moon quietly watched over these parties that were hosted by the Divine and attended by Beasts. All was well._

_However... one night_

_.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-._

I felt someone lightly pat my hair, telling me to wake up, bringing me out of the strange dream. The images quickly disappearing before I could grasp what I was looking at. I had the dream before, and every time it happened, I felt like something warm and comforting was wrapping around me, but the feeling would change to a constricting feeling by the end of the dream. I could never remember it but knew it was the same dream...

_Choking me._

"It's late, do you want the maids to set up a futon for you?" Akito asked, and I was still a little out of it. I didn't realize how tired I was, my body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. I remembered laying down my head on the table, just to rest for a moment, but I must have fallen asleep.

"Thanks, Akito, but I really should head home..." I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake myself up a bit more. I had dropped by Akito's because she wanted to have dinner together, she even had the cooks made one of my favourites, omurice with spicy ketchup. It was good, but my appetite just wasn't there. I ate what I could as to not be rude or to put Akito in a foul mood.

This whole week I felt like I had been just... not really here. It was slightly understandable, the last week had just been a whirlwind of emotions. Between discovering a new side of Kyo, Dadaji returning from his business trip and Zuzu's accident. Zuzu had fallen from a second-story window at the main house and had some broken bones along with an open wound on her back. She was covered in bandages and was in so much pain.

It's been a few days since Isuzu's been in the hospital. The only thing I could do was try to keep her company until the nurses kicked me out. I planned on going back soon, maybe not tomorrow but probably on Sunday. Hang out, try to cheer her up.

_And bring her some decent food... maybe I'll bring her some mango lassi and some trashy magazines._

"...Do you plan on baking any of that.. sweet ball stuff any time soon?" Akito asked me, bringing me out of my head as I made sure I had all my things. She was slightly blushing as she looked to the side, and I could only giggle at the description.

"The next time I'm at the store, I'll pick up some shredded coconut." I offered, and I could see a small smile. At least Akito seemed to be doing well.

" Have a good sleep, thanks for dinner." I picked up my school bag from the floor and waved goodbye while sliding open the door.

As I walked through the main house, I came to a large open window. I gripped the sill and looked down. A two-story fall, I couldn't imagine how scary it would be to fall from here. I bit the inside of my cheek, thinking back on that night, a feeling of guilt settling in my heart.

_That night... Zuzu had just been at my house, everyone was fine.._

_I wish I had insisted that she stayed over... then maybe this wouldn't have happened..._

I had dropped by the hospital multiple times this week and tried to put on a brave face, but...

Spending all this time in the hospital was bringing back memories, some bad and some good. The only person who hated the hospital more than me was Zuzu, who had various escape attempts throughout the years.

_I had only made one escape, and I had gotten pretty far before Hatori found me and wheeled me back..._

No, I didn't love the hospital, but if spending time there helped my friend in any way, then I would camp out there. Except that would probably annoy her more than help her.

But there was something odd about my dear friend this past week. She was clearly keeping something from me, but I couldn't figure out what it was or why she was doing so. Did she not trust me? Or was it something else.

I felt powerless to really do anything because it wasn't like I could interrogate her or something. She was stuck in bed, covered in bandages from head to toe, and it would be cruel to push her to talk about something she doesn't want to.

It wasn't like she was an overly talkative person in the first place, but she had become so quiet, and it wasn't like when Kisa had locked up her words. It was different, though I couldn't really explain why.

_Zuzu's been so quiet... she must be traumatized... I wish there was something more I could do_

A small hand latched onto my elbow, bringing me out of my daydream. I let out a little gasp and looked down to see large dark brown eyes.

"Hiro? Hey, what are you doing here?" I questioned the young boy, and he had already started dragging me from the window and towards the entrance.

" Me? What were you doing daydreaming by that window?!" He scolded me, not happy at all.

_Well...Hiro was the one who had found Zuzu... poor guy... Me standing there must make him nervous..._

"Sorry, just tired, I guess..." I admitted as I smiled down at him as he led me down the stairs by my wrist, clearly not in the mood to just stand around.

"Tch."

"So, what brings you to the main house?" I asked, waving goodbye to the workers of the house as we moved through the foyer.

" Tetsuo-Ojisan said you were here..."

" Did you need me for something?" I was slipping on my shoes, and Hiro tied up his boots.

"No."

" Did you need Akito for something?"

"No." I could see his little fist curling but couldn't understand why Hiro could be sarcastic, but he didn't necessarily lose his temper over small things.

"Then why-"

"I just wanted to walk you home! Geez, do I need to be interrogated all the time?!" He nearly barked at me, his face glowing red. Out of anger or embarrassment, I was wasn't sure.

"Awww, you're so sweet, Hiro! I feel so lucky." I gushed, feeling touched that I had someone like Hiro to try and keep an eye on me. Even if he had a funny way of trying to communicate.

Hiro was only a kid in elementary school, but he tried to act strong, and sometimes it made him come off as a brat, but there was a huge heart beneath his attitude.

He groaned but still let me pat his hair, and I even snuck a little kiss to his cheek. Now he was blushing red due to embarrassment, that much I was sure off.

"Have you had a chance to visit Zuzu yet?" I inquired as I took his hand in mine and swung it while he walked along.

" ...I was thinking, maybe tomorrow." He muttered, not sounding 100% committed and you didn't blame him, the hospital was a scary place. But Zuzu was close with Hiro and seeing his face might cheer her up.

" She'll be happy to see you! Oh, do you mind dropping off something for me, I went by today, and I'm sure she needs a break from my face, but I wanted to lend her a book." I asked for the favour, and he groaned and complained but agreed none the less.

.

.-.-.-.-

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Hiro waited at the living room table, sipping some chilled chai that Marley had poured for him. The Elder of the house was playing a game of solitaire as he watched a sumo match on the television. Hiro didn't see the appeal, but he kind of enjoyed watching Tetsuo make a snide comment at the T.V now and then.

Gimli, who figured himself to be the guardian of the household, was sitting in the corner, staring at the boy while his tail swished back and forth. He was visibly unhappy about the guest but had at least stopped hissing.

"Here it is, sorry to make you wait Hiro." Marley rushed into the room, carrying a small object.

" Maybe if you actually kept your room organized, then you'd be able to find something.." Tetsuo mumbled as he completed his card game.

Marley only laughed and agreed with him, but Hiro knew that she most likely wouldn't change her ways any time soon. Though Marley did promise to tidy up her room.

Her Grandfather didn't push her, Marley did keep the rest of the house clean and tidy, it was only her room that was sometimes left in disarray, and he figured that that's what she must be comfortable with.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Marley gave Hiro a small smile, and he rolled his eyes.

"Then what was the point of me walking you home if you walk me home?" Hiro pointed out with smirk while crossing his arms at the girl, being a smart ass, but Marley didn't really care all that much.

"Ah, true."

"Idiot.." The young Zodiac member scoffed.

"Watch it, lamb-chop." Snapped Tetsuo, who sent the boy a warning glare.

"Dadaji." Marley shook her head at her grandfather's tone as she walked Hiro to the door, reminding him to text her when he gets home.

"Have a good night, Hiro. Tell your parents, I say hello." Marley said as he slipped on his boots.

"Oh, Mom wants you to come over for dinner soon. Are you free Wednesday?" Hiro acted as if he wasn't excited, but he enjoyed spending time with the older girl, and whenever Marley came over, she always tried to make something special.

Marley nodded and told the boy she had dance after school but would head over after, and waved at him as he walked away.

The girl was already trying to think of what she could bring as a dessert. There had been some sweet looking raspberries at the market, maybe she could make a nice raspberry cream crumble.

"What do you guys think?" She asked the portrait of her parents, slightly adjusting the frame and wiping a little dust off the counter.

" Raspberry crumble? Or maybe I should make coconut ladoo? Akito was asking, and I could get two birds with one stone?" Her parents were just smiling as she imagined what they might say.

"Both it is, you can never have too many desserts, especially in this family." Marley reasoned and wished her parents' portrait good night.

Marley returned to the living room and took a seat on the floor pillow, casually watching the Sumo match, but Tetsuo kept glancing at his granddaughter. He had barely seen her this past week and could tell that she was tired.

Gimli finally walked from the far corner and crawled into her lap, pawing at Marley's hand till the girl gave him the attention he wanted. She cooed at the cat, calling him a fluffy boy as she scratched his back, his orange and white fur sticking to her clothes.

With it getting warmer out, her large fluffy cat was slightly shedding his winter bulk. Her grandfather had joked that they could create a whole new cat with all the fur that Gimli was shedding. Marley let out a giggle, but Tetsuo couldn't help but notice that it felt a bit forced.

Tetsuo looked at Marley's slightly sullen face as she let out a large sigh. Hoping he could at least cheer her up a little bit, he decided to make a small proposal.

" Tomorrow's a Saturday, how about we take a small day trip?" He asked as he watched her reaction from his seat as he laid down a card.

"Oh, I don-"

"You can't spend all your time at the hospital. You need some fresh countryside air. I have to go pay a cousin a visit, it's Sohma business. He runs a farm with his -" He explained, but at the mention of a farm, he could see her eyes light up.

"A farm?" She interrupted him, sitting up in her seat and giving him her undivided attention, the sumo match forgotten.

"What do they have? Do they have fruits? What kind? Oh! And do they have chickens? Or maybe come cute cows?" Marley raved and asked question after question, a certain brightness in her eyes.

Tetsuo chuckled and nodded his head to her questions, he had a feeling that she would jump at the chance to go to a farm.

" We could pick up some stuff to bring back, some fresh jams and whatnot. I'm sure Isuzu would appreciate some gifts." Tetsuo could tell that Marley was getting more excited the more he talked about it. He wasn't thrilled about going to the farm because he knew the owner, and he could talk and talk and talk, but if it made Marley happy, then he would stand it for a day. The more he thought about it...Half a day.

The girl seemed to be thinking about something, and it was as if a light bulb went off in her mind.

"Do you mind if I invite someone?" The girl asked, a sincere smile visible on her face, her earlier, slight, weariness gone.

"... depends.." Tetsuo grumbled, hoping that it wasn't the Rabbit, Momiji was a nice kid but was way too affectionate. And Marley knew better than to put him and Akito in the same space. He supposed he could live with Marley bringing Kyo... although he still wanted to have an inevitable talk with the boy.

Tetsuo looked to Marley's neck, the bandages were now gone, but there was a very slight cut against her dark skin. It likely wouldn't scar, but it didn't change the fact that something had happened to her while he was on the other side of the world.

He hoped that would be the only time she got in the middle of anything concerning the ugliness of the cursed family. His granddaughter had been through enough in her young life, and he wanted her to enjoy her youth.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

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The morning sun filtered the Sohma household, and everything seemed to be at peace. There was no fighting, only the sound of the T.V as Kyo flipped through the channels and Tohru washing dishes from breakfast in the kitchen.

"Greetings, mon ami!" The boisterous Ayame opened the living room door with gusto, a bright beaming smile on his face as he greeted the household. The peaceful morning air was gone.

"Aya! Bonjour!" Shigure was happy to see his friend, even if some in the household were not fans.

"Ayame-San, it's nice to see you." The kind brunette greeted him, genuinely enjoying his presence, even though his loud personality could be a lot to take.

" Beautiful Tohru! Always a pleasure! I'll need some tea right away!" Ayame sat down and patted the table.

"She's not your servant!" Kyo yelled from his spot, already getting up and heading into the kitchen. He wished he could be anywhere but here, maybe he head to the dojo for some training.

"Aya, what brings you here?" Shigure asked as he folded his newspaper and placed it down on the table, giving the silver-haired Zodiac member his full attention.

" I'm so glad you asked, I'm here to deepen my brotherly bond. Where is my beautiful baby brother?" Ayame's gold eyes looked around the room, hoping to catch sight of Yuki.

"Yuki's on a date." Shigure gave Ayame a cheeky smile, and the Snake widened his eyes, wanting to hear all the details.

"What? Do my ears deceive me, who is the lucky girl?" He inquired, hungry for more information.

"The exotic Marley-Chan, who knew Yuki was into foreigners." Shigure teased, enjoying the surprising turn in events and hoping for a particular reaction.

"WHAT?!"

There it was, and Shigure couldn't stop the knowing smirk that appeared on his face.

Kyo gripped the milk carton in his hand so hard that it burst, milk dripping everywhere, and Tohru quickly jumped in with a rag to clean up.

"Awww don't be jealous, Kyo-Kyo," Shigure told his cousin, but his smile gave away his true intentions.

"Yes, don't be jealous, Kyonkichi." Ayame joined in on tormenting the Cat, it was all in good fun.

"WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT BEING JEALOUS! STOP MAKING FUN OF ME!" Kyo hissed at the adults, his hair standing on end, and the men laughed while Tohru picked up the forgotten milk carton and placed it in the trash.

"Ahh, young love." Shigure teased, unable to stop himself, it was just too entertaining.

"SHUT UP SHITHEAD! I'M OUTTA HERE!" The temperamental teen shouted as he was out the door and slamming it behind him, shaking the entire house with its force.

"My, my, everyone is so lively around here. Very, well. I shall wait for my dear baby brother's return. I can hardly wait to hear the details." Ayame made himself comfortable, sitting at the table as if there was a crown on his head.

"Who says we have to wait?" Shigure wiggled his eyebrows and got up from the table, fanning himself as he opened the door to his mess of a room.

"Just have to find that number... eh... where did I write it down?"

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

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" Yuki! Look at the size of this watermelon!" Marley laughed, her large eyes lighting up in marvel of the large fruit.

Marley was down on her knees, wrapping her arms around an oversized watermelon in awe and smiling at Yuki. She reminded him of an excited child, especially in her blue overalls and pink crew-neck T-shirt, her long hair in braided pigtails and a straw sunhat resting on her head.

The boy was also impressed with its size and wondered how it tasted. Yuki knelt down, knocked on the watermelon and listened, noting that it wasn't ripe yet.

"It doesn't sound right." He concluded.

"Oh! You can tell if a watermelon's ready?" Marley practically had stars in her eyes, she could tell if certain fruits and vegetables were good, but when it came to squashes or melons, she was utterly lost.

"That's so cool! Let's go look for the perfect watermelon." Marley encouraged as she dragged him around, asking his opinion about various different fruits.

"Oh, what's that game where the people smash watermelons? That fat one would be an easy target!" She gushed over the fruit, speaking so quickly that her accent was starting to come up, excitement bubbling around her.

"I was looking up summer activities, and I found all these videos of people like, spinning around and then trying to hit the watermelon like a piñata! It looks like so much fun, we should do it." She continued and honestly, Yuki had no idea what she was talking about. He didn't even know what a pinata was.

" I've never done it before... it sounds kind of... silly?" He questioned as he stood up and put his hands on his hips.

"I know! That's why I wanna try it, and it'll be so much fun playing it with everyone." Marley already imagined what it would be like to play with Kyo, Momiji, Isuzu, and everyone. She bet Kyo's martial arts training could give him an upper hand and smash it in one go.

The girl's joy was a bit infectious, and Yuki let his guard down smiling along with the girl, he was now looking forward to the 'watermelon smashing game.' This summer would be a good one, he was already spending more time outside.

Yuki knelt down to check another watermelon, analyzing and tapping on it.

"This is a really good one." He noted.

"Do you think it's okay if we take it?" She asked as she came over to check out the one Yuki had picked. The boy shrugged his shoulders and Marley looked around for a worker. She found one and began waving and was about to walk over to him, but the farmworker instead started rushing over to them.

"Excuse me? You're Tetsuo-Sama's granddaughter, yes?" He asked as he approached, a nervous smile on his face.

Marley nodded and introduced herself and asked for his name, a bright smile on her face causing the worker who could only be a few years older than them to blush. The young man introduced himself.

" Teruki Sohma... it's nice to meet you." He stared down at the watermelon that Yuki was touching and raised his eyebrow.

"Oh! We were wondering if we could have this watermelon?" She asked as she patted the fruit in question, and without missing a beat, the worker brought out a knife and swiftly cut the stem, before lifting it up into his arms. Marley took it as a 'yes, they can have the watermelon.'

" Thank you; that's very kind.." Marley gushed as she reached out to try and take the watermelon, but the worker held on tight.

" I can carry it back to your car for you! You two should enjoy your date." The worker was flustered as he stepped back from the two and then started hurrying off, not even giving the two time to explain that it wasn't really a date. More like Marley dragging Yuki on an adventure.

"The house has prepared lunch, you should head back!" The worker offered as he walked off with the watermelon in hand and was out of their sight before Marley could thank him.

" Maybe we can split it at Shigure's, and I'll take half home." Marley offered and smiled at him. Yuki could only nod, a small blush on his face over the idea of the two of them on a date.

Marley noticed his slightly red face and placed the back of her hand to his forehead.

"Mar-Marley-San?" Yuki asked, his face only getting warmer at the gentle action.

"You feel a little warm, here, you should wear this." Marley offered as she took off her straw sun hat.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly-"

"Please, I was only wearing it because it looked cute." Marley insisted as she placed the straw sun hat on Yuki, helping him block out the warm sun a little.

He wasn't used to people taking care of him, outside of Tohru and maybe Haru, and he felt his heart race. Yuki had to remind himself that Marley was just that kind of person.

The two walked to the farmhouse where they could see Tetsuo and the farmer on the porch, waving at the two.

Marley waved back, but a large, stressful noise distracted her, and she looked around to see where it came from.

Her eyes locked onto the horse, running around in a small paddock and throwing its head back while a man in the paddock tried to catch it. The horse turned around till he was facing the man who then scrambled out of the fenced area, narrowly missing being stomped on by the cinnamon-coloured horse.

"Stupid horse! I'm just trying to help you!" Yelled the clearly frustrated man while the horse neighed furiously, and Marley was already heading over to see what was up.

"Marley-San?" Yuki called out, but Marley was already out of hearing distance. He looked back to the porch and saw the farmer and Tetsuo heading his way.

They didn't say anything as they passed Yuki and head in the direction that Marley had, Yuki let out a small sigh and decided to follow, curious how this was all going to work out.

By the time they had walked over, Marley was talking to the man who had been 'dealing' with the unhappy horse.

"That's not a horse, it's a demon in disguise. Kuzon-San took him in because the last owner couldn't handle it, someone thought that he would be happier out in the fields with the cows, but he won't let me lead him." As soon as the man gestured to the horse, the large mammal reached his neck out and tried to take a snap.

"HEY!" The worker yelled at the horse who didn't seem to care, he actually looked quite proud of himself.

"What's his name?" Marley asked as she didn't take her eyes off the horse.

"Doesn't have one yet.. we just been calling him trouble..." The owner of the farm, Kuzon, let out a large sigh as he crossed his arms and shook his head, clearly exhausted by the ordeal already.

Marley had stepped up closer to the fence, and the horse watched her like a hawk.

"Maybe he was abused?" Marley wasn't really asking, it was more like she was thinking out loud as she walked along the fence. Yuki noted how the horse didn't move from its spot, but its large eyes stayed on the white-blonde. Marley stopped at the fence and held out an empty hand. The horse stayed put for a moment, instead of lunging out the horse turned around and walked away.

"Maybe... but that doesn't help me... I don't want to hurt him, I'm just trying to walk him over to the pasture." The worker explained, swiping the back of his neck of sweat with a red handkerchief.

Marley walked back to the group and horse then started to run around the small paddock, neighing and bucking, it's back legs into one of the fence posts.

Marley made some clicking noises and then made a cooing sound to the horse, and it grabbed the horse's attention, making it stop and just stare at her.

"Can I have one of those?" Marley asked Kuzon as she pointed over to a bushel of yellow and red apples.

"Go ahead." He smiled and was looking forward to seeing what the foreigner was going to do.

"Thanks." She grabbed a few, stuffing one into each pocket of her overalls and then one in her hand. The group couldn't even say anything, the girl had opened the gate and slipped in.

"MISS!" The worker called out, but she just put a finger to her lips, asking them to be quiet. Yuki had to admit he was impressed by how easily she was able to control the grown men. She closed the gate behind her and Yuki walked up to the fence.

"Marley-San, are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked in a soft voice, looking back between the girl and the horse. The horse seemed so big and violent to him, and he couldn't understand why Marley would want to put herself in this position.

But a part of Yuki already knew that Marley had no problem putting herself in harm's way if meant helping or protecting another living thing. Whether they be human, horse or even a small rat.

_"Please... stop!"_

"Umm.. not exactly but I just wanna try." She gave him a reassuring smile and then just walked to the paddock further with an apple in her hand.

As she stood in the soft dirt, the horse watched her, not going near her but also not comfortable, just minding his own business.

"Hello, my names Marley. I'm just going to hang out, don't worry about me." Marley introduced herself to the horse, even throwing in a small bow, which made Yuki smile a bit. She looked ridiculous, but she didn't seem to care.

Marley took a bite of the apple with a loud crunch, the crisp sound clearly had the horse interested, but he didn't venture further.

The girl continued eating the apple and talking to the horse, asking how his day was, what he had for lunch if he enjoyed the rain they had earlier in the week. The boys only watched, making sure Marley didn't do anything stupid.

Well... 'stupider'...

It must have been 20 minutes later, and the worker was getting slightly agitated.

" Well, this is going nowhere..." The worker sighed.

"She grew up on a farm and around lots of animals," Tetsuo mentioned as he rolled one of his shoulders, Yuki was reminded that Marley had spoken of the village she had been born in, a farm in India that her great grandmother had run.

"Oh, interesting, I would never have thought that." The farmer scratched his chin over the information, Yuki had thought the same and would have never known had Marley not mentioned it to him.

"So? Doesn't mean she's an animal whisperer or something." The worker scoffed, clearly done with the situation at hand.

"Hmmm, then what do you make of that?" Tetsuo smirked as he pointed to how the horse was no longer neighing and bucking, just walking around, getting closer and closer to Marley, who had actually started an English song that Yuki vaguely recognized.

Her soft voice and the calming song only making the horse go closer.

_Close your eyes, and I'll kiss you  
Tomorrow I'll miss you  
Remember I'll always be true  
And then while I'm away  
I'll write home every day  
And I'll send all my lovin' to you_

Marley held out an empty hand to the horse. Their black snout sniffed it, investigating, still seeming to be alert.

Marley just stayed calm, letting the large horse check her out as she sang softly and took her hand back. She slowly brought out another apple, offering it to the horse, but the creature didn't seem to really know what to do. Sniffing it, feeling it out with its muzzle but not taking it a bite.

"I don't think he knows what an apple is," Marley said, and the worker explained that they had yet to give him one.

Marley wiped the apple on her blue denim overalls and then raised it to her mouth, taking a big bite.

But she didn't chew or swallow it. Instead, she spat out the bite she took into her hand. Yuki felt a little grossed out by the action, a small shudder working its way up to his spine. Dirt and fertilizer he was okay with. Whatever Marley was doing was kind of gross in his book.

She held out her hand to the horse, and the horse sniffed the apple piece and then gently took it from her hand.

After the horse ate the small morsel, he began nodding his head, a soft nickering sound leaving his muzzle.

"It's pretty good, huh?" Marley laughed, and she continued the process, taking a bite, spitting it out and letting the horse eat it.

"She's feeding it as if she's a mama bird." Joked the farmer, laughing at this own joke while Tetsuo slightly shook his head, but Yuki caught what looked like a small smile on his face.

They watched as Marley would walk around the paddock, the large horse following her around, and soon she gave the horse an entire apple. The horse had calmed down and was letting Marley softly pet his neck and head.

"Can we name him Ringo?" Marley asked as she found a sweet spot on the horse's shoulder and used her long nails to give it a good scratch.

"You want to name him 'apple'?" Yuki asked, raising a brow at the strange name, it didn't seem very creative.

"Well... that and after the Beatles drummer, it kind of fits." Marley was barely paying attention to the humans at this point, focusing all her energy on the love-starved horse, playing with the horse's black hair.

"What do you think, Ringo?" The horse rubbed its head against Marley's chest, and she laughed, cooing at the horse and petting his head.

" Well, I've been humiliated..." The worker groaned, rubbing his face.

" Marley's Mother did mention that she had a way with animals, so don't worry too much." Tetsuo clapped the workers back with a harsh pat of his hand, nearly making the young man topple over.

"Here, can you try getting this halter on him?" The worker decided to trust the girl as he handed her a brown leather horse halter.

"Sure. Has he had one before?" Marley asked as she approached the fence and took the halter and lead rope.

"Yeah, but it's just been a hassle getting it on him..." The worker had bruises and bite marks all over his torso and arms to prove just how challenging the horse had been.

Marley walked to where he was standing by the fence and Ringo did not follow. The horse was still wary of the boys. Yuki figured that maybe the horse had been hurt by men, which was why the horse didn't want to come over and why Marley was able to possibly earn its favour. People could be cruel, and Yuki could understand why the horse was acting out.

He still was too afraid to return to the main house and was staying away for as long as he could.

Marley first showed the halter to the horse, letting 'Ringo' sniff it and investigate it before allowing her to slip it over his head and fasten the buckle.

"Oh, Yuki, here hold this," Marley asked as she tossed an apple to him.

"What... what do you want me to do with it?" Yuki asked, catching the apple with two hands.

"Hold it out." She explained as the worker opened the door, and Yuki felt a little worried.

"Just.. stay calm. He's more scared of you then you of him. " Marley assured with sincerity as she hooked a lead rope onto Ringo's halter.

Even though Marley had asked him to stay calm, he felt like his heart was racing. He doubted the horse was more scared of him. Marley led Ringo out of the paddock and gestured for Yuki to hold out his hand while cooing at the horse to keep him calm.

"Lay your hand out flat. And just let him figure you out." Marley instructed, confident in both Ringo and Yuki.

The horse eyed him warily but gave him a sniff and eventually took the apple, his muzzle brushing against Yuki's hand and the juices leaking from his mouth and onto the boy's hand.

Yuki knew now and then that he would stick with fruits and vegetables. Animals were not his thing.

"Horses make apples look like the most delicious things in the world." Marley softly laughed as she patted the horse's neck, calling him a 'good, handsome boy.'

"I'll lead you to the field." The worker said, still shaking his head over the outcome but happy that the horse had calmed down.

He walked about 10 feet ahead while Marley led Ringo with a lead rope, he seemed pretty content, stopping now and then to graze on the grass. Yuki walked alongside her with Tetsuo on his other side.

" Weren't you scared, Marley-San?" Yuki asked, and Tetsuo made a remark about needing to have the 'sense' to be afraid, which made Marley stick her tongue out at him, both laughing at the exchange.

" Well, yes and no. A lot of animals will act out of fear. He was just doing what he thought would protect him. Ringo just needed to see that we were patient enough to give him a chance. Right, cause you are so handsome and such a good boy, yes you are, I love you, yes I do." Marley cooed, again giving the horse kisses and pats which he seemed to enjoy.

Yuki knew that it wasn't just animals that acted out of fear, he knew people to do the same. He also knew people who could hurt others just because they could, but he found himself wondering... Was God afraid of anything?

For a moment, he disappeared into his own head, and he was back in that room, smeared with black paint. Trapped. And the way he tried to protect himself.

Marley's laugh brought him out of his inner world and watched as the horse was sniffing all her pockets in search of more apples and apologized for not having any more.

The farmer opened the latch to the large grass field with brown and white cows. Marley walked Ringo in and unlatched the lead rope, patting him and telling him to have a good time and maybe make a few friends. As if she was a mother seeing her first child off to school.

"See that tree over there?" The farmer pointed to a large tree on top of a small hill at the far end of a grass field.

"My wife put together a small lunch, why don't you two make a picnic of it." He suggested.

"We would love to, thank you so much." Marley gave a bright smile to the farmer, who nodded his head to both Marley and Yuki. Marley asked if Tetsuo would join them, but he said they still had some business to do.

" It's so romantic, sharing food together under a tree during a beautiful day-" The farmer started to explain but was cut off.

" Not. Another. Word." Tetsuo growled and then pointed a finger at Yuki.

"You lay one finger on her young man, and you'll find yourself missing that finger." The intimidating Tetsuo's eyes nearly went black, and Yuki felt himself sweat a bit.

"Yes, Sir." Yuki couldn't help but get a little nervous, Tetsuo's glare was infamous, and the teenager felt like his life might be in actual danger. Marley just rolled her eyes and told her grandfather to be 'nice' to which he just huffed.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

Isuzu stared out the window, it was a beautiful day outside, and supposedly it was hot out, but she felt like she was freezing in the sterile room.

"Hey." A young boy's voice rang through the room as he lightly knocked on the door sill.

"Hey...what are you doing here?" She asked, slightly looking over to see the youngest of Zodiac members.

"Can't I come and visit." Hiro tried to give her the bouquet his mother had picked out, but Isuzu ignored it and looked out the window.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, trying to start some kind of conversation and cut through the awkward air.

"Like shit, how do you think I'm feeling." The black-haired girl snapped at him. Hiro couldn't even find it in himself to be annoyed at her.

"Marley wanted me to give this to you." Hiro placed down the bouquet on a table and reached into his bag to grab the book with 'A Little Princess' written on the front.

He handed the slightly worn book to Isuzu and was surprised she actually took it from him, handled it with care as she flipped open the front cover.

There was some neat handwriting in English on the first page and a little cartoon purple butterfly.

_'To my little princess, to help you with your Japanese, love Bapu.'_

She got a small flashback of a time when Marley was lying in bed while Isuzu was doing some sketching by the window. Yuuto had asked how her reading was going, and Marley admitted to not doing it all.

_"Please Bapu, can you read it to me, I'm so tired." She asked, weakly gesturing to the book on her nightstand._

_" I bought it so you could work on your kanji skills..." Yuuto tried to scold, but he didn't have it in him, he also enjoyed reading out loud, and if his daughter requested it, then it wasn't like he could say no._

_"Please... Zuzu really likes the way you read." Marley pointed out as she gestured to the ebony-haired girl, getting her involved._

_" Don't drag me into this!" Isuzu ripped a piece of paper out of her sketchbook, molded it into a ball and threw it at the girl in bed, making her slightly laugh._

_"You don't like Bapu's reading voice?" She asked, slightly tilting her head._

_"I-... I didn't say that..." Marley lightly giggled and the kind father figure laughed at the girls and gave into reading the book, Isuzu even moved closer, carefully laying in the bed beside Marley and continued to sketch while she listened to him read. His calm, soothing voice filling the room._

_The makeshift family falling into a comfortable sense of security. It was a simple memory, but one that stayed with Isuzu._

"Tell.. tell her I'll take care of it." She told him, and Hiro had to admit he was surprised how quickly her mood changed with the simple gesture. Isuzu held the book in her hand with such care, Hiro thought that he must be missing something.

"What's with the book?" The young boy asked, curious as to why something so simple seemed to make Isuzu happy.

"... it's none of your business Hiro." She said the content look on her face turning into a glare. Isuzu didn't like letting people see her vulnerable sides, and she didn't need Hiro knowing how sentimental she was over a children's story.

The boy stayed silent and stood there, feeling uncomfortable as he awkwardly swayed back and forth on his heels.

" I found Marley last night, standing by that window..." Hiro voiced, and that got Isuzu's attention, her bandaged face fully faced towards him.

"At the main house?" Hiro nodded at the obvious question. What other window would he be talking about?

"What was she doing at the main house?" She asked, but she already knew the answer, and she didn't like it. Isuzu couldn't understand how Marley could be close with Akito and had never liked their friendship. Now it stressed her out even more. Isuzu was beginning to understand more and more of what Akito was capable of and needed to try and get Marley away from it.

"What do you think? Akito asked her over for dinner... I walked her home. " Hiro said as he crossed his arms and looked to the side. He wouldn't mention how Marley held his hand the entire way or laid a kiss to his cheek.

" Why... why can't we tell her what happened," Hiro asked, he had a sick feeling in his chest over it. They're where things he wanted to tell the girl but felt he couldn't. Marley knew so much about their lives and yet so little.

"You know why Hiro. "

"Maybe Marley can-"

"She CAN'T know Hiro. Even Kisa knows better than to tell Marley what actually happened to her... why don't you. " Isuzu cut of her cousin, not wanting to hear what he had to say.

The boy was silent, and Isuzu continued on, wanting him to understand, and her patience was running thin. A million things were running through her mind, and a part of her knew what she had to do. She needed to protect the people she loved, and that left her with few choices.

"Hiro. Do you think even if somehow you were able to tell her? What would happen?" And Hiro was silent because he knew what could happen.

While Hiro himself had never received any pain at the hands of Akito, he had now watched as not one, but two people he cared about at the mercy of their God. And he felt like he was at war with self, his own soul and his Zodiac spirit at odds.

He still hadn't been able to look Kisa in the eye since the incident in late spring. He wanted to help her but had been so afraid to make everything worse, and now he wondered if ignoring her had been the wrong way to go.

Was it really the best thing to keep Marley out the loop... the young boy wasn't sure of anything right now. But he supposed that Isuzu was the one who was in the hospital bed, and she should decide whether Marley knows the truth of why or not.

An awkward silence hung over the room, and he could see Isuzu clenching her jaw as if daring him to say another word.

"Feel better soon, Rin..." Hiro muttered and left, wishing he'd hadn't come in the first place. He hadn't made anything any better. If anything, he felt he made everything worse.

The young Zodiac member didn't know what was going in his fellow Zodiac member's head, but he figured she really couldn't do anything while she was trapped in the hospital.

In his haste to get out, with his head turned towards the ground, he didn't even notice his dual haired cousin walking the hospital halls with a vase of pretty red flowers in his hands as he headed to Isuzu's room.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

Two teenagers sat on a red picnic blanket under a tree, overlooking a large pasture that the cows of the farm spent the majority of their days. Their lunch had been delicious, their bellies full and were now just enjoying the quiet, tranquil atmosphere that the farm provided.

A few of the cows who were curious about the two strangers were grazing near the bottom of the hill, one calf had come up to investigate, tiring themselves out before laying down in the grass, laying their heavy head on Marley's lap, stopping her from being able to get up.

Not that she was complaining as she hummed and massaged the cute calf's head. A few mice had even joined the party, hanging out around Yuki with one brave mouse nestling themselves in Marley's front overall pocket.

Ringo, the horse, was also enjoying his pasture time, grazing peacefully in the distance.

Marley's phone rang, and she asked Yuki to pick up as she was unable to really move.

Yuki reached out on the blanket and looked at who was calling, and Marley asked him.

"It's Shigure."

"You can answer it, probably just checking in." Marley closed her eyes, and Yuki accepted the call, immediately regretting it the moment a familiar voice burst through the speaker.

"Marley! Our dear Princess! Please tell me that my dear brother has succeeded in stealing your heart! I'll make your wedding outfits glorious -" Marley watched Yuki's face go dark, clicking the phone off before Ayame could say anything more.

"You two still don't get along, huh?" Marley asked, awkwardly laughing, hoping to lighten the mood, but the dark look on Yuki's face stayed in place. Her phone rang again, but she put it on silent, sending back a text apologizing.

"It's not that... " Yuki let out a massive sigh, clearly exhausted over just thinking about his brother.

" I always kind of wondered what it would be like to have a sibling." Marley mentioned as she leaned back and continued petting the cow calf's soft head.

" You do?"

"Hmm, it's too bad because I bet Mama and Bapu would have had beautiful kids." Marley opened the locket that was around her neck, gazing at the photos of her parents.

The boy sometimes forgot that Marley was only a Sohma in name and not by blood, Yuki certainly felt like she fit right in. She was even close with the coldest, cruelest Sohma Yuki knew, but that was a different issue and tried to not hold it against her.

"My Mama had a little brother, though..." The girl revealed as she dropped the locket and instead used her free hand to caress the cow's ear.

"Oh, were they close?" Yuki asked.

"It's...kind of complicated."

" I'm pretty familiar with complicated." Yuki pointed out, and Marley got a look on her face as if saying 'oh right, family curse, very complicated.' Yuki made himself comfortable to listen more.

"You see, Mama was born in Northern India to a smaller village... and she knew her parents were disappointed when they had her because she was a girl and India is a VERY patriarchal society. They still did their best, loved her and raised her, gave her a small education.. but she said she sometimes felt like... a burden. " Marley spoke in a soft voice, a sad look in her eyes as she stared up at the branches of the tree they were sitting under, small streams of sunlight peeking through the leaves.

"Her parents tried for another kid.. and finally... they had a boy. I think Mama said she was 9 or 10 years older than him. And when he was born, she was pulled out of school. Made to help around the house with chores and looking after her new brother." Yuki stayed quiet during Marley's story, curious to what point she was trying to make.

"And they treated her little brother with such attention and love. He was a blessing in their eyes, and they consistently voiced that. Mama said they she knew her parents did love her, and she did love them, but it wasn't the same. And she grew jealous and even when her baby brother reached out for her... she would turn away. " A small frown worked its way on Marley's face.

Marley knew that her Mother's heart had been broken by her parents, and even if it was wrong, she had blamed her baby brother for the treatment she received. Marley remembered her mother saying it was one of her biggest regrets in life.

"She felt by the time she was a teenager, there had been a great rift in her family, her parents and her brother on one side and Mama on the other.. she felt so lonely but didn't know how to bring it up or address. Scared of what they could say. Afraid to make it worse. "

Chandra had been afraid of completely breaking the delicate, fake, peace the household had.

"Then... one day her parents set her up for a meeting, she was only 14 at the time, and they had arranged a marriage for her. They were a traditional family from a small village, so they still had traditional ways ..." It was weird to think of her mother in an arranged marriage, it was so... old school. Marley couldn't imagine herself being told who she would have to marry.

"Mama.. couldn't do it. Didn't want to. Mama told them she wanted to marry for love, and they simply told her to grow up and... she ran." Marley let out a large sigh.

"She ran?" Yuki repeated, in a bit of shock that Marley's mother had done such a thing so young.

"Mama packed a small bag, left a note and ran away. " Her mother hadn't given her all that many details. It had been hard for her to talk about, understandably so.

"That's amazing, I could never." Yuki was in awe, he had barely had the strength to move just outside the walls of the Estate. He liked to think he could run away and never turn back, but he felt like he didn't possess that kind of strength.

"Mama said it was stupid of her, and she put herself in serious danger. But it's what led her where she was, and she couldn't imagine it any other way. But there was something she regretted." Marley pointed out.

"What was that?"

"Reaching out." She simply put, and Yuki slightly tilted his head at the answer.

" When she became a mother and learned of all the worry that a parent has for their child and the more she learned about the world in general.. she could see why her Parents worried like they had... she even understood why they had set her up with someone. It was the way things were, and they wanted what was best for her. They wanted her to be with someone who could take care of her, who was stable and seemed like a good match." Her grandparents' hearts might have been in the right place, but it didn't make it right, especially if her mother hadn't wanted it.

"But she wished she had reached out and talked to her parents rather than run away. She spent most of her life running from them because she was afraid of what they would say. Mama missed them, but she didn't think it was something that could be saved. That there was too large of a rift, too much hurt..." Yuki watched as Marley took a deep breath.

" And then Mama's situation with Dadaji..."

"Forgive me, but what does Tetsuo-Sama have to do with it?" Yuki felt like the mention of the Sohma elder came out of nowhere and couldn't understand what he had to do with Marley's mother reaching out to her parents.

"Oh well... um, back when Mama and Bapu got married, and we came to Japan. Dadaji was.. not happy, to say the least. And this led to a lot of friction between Mama and him, and eventually, it made Bapu furious with him, and they didn't speak for years." She quickly explained, not wanting to get too into it.

"And then you came back to Japan and were able to resolve everything?" Yuki asked, and Marley simply shook her head. Yuki realized how little he knew about her and why she in Japan in the first place.

"No, Dadaji showed up in Las Vegas, at our apartment." She revealed, a smile on her face as she thought of how awkward all of the adults had been while she had just been happy to see her step-grandfather, immediately offering him a seat and asking what he wanted for dinner. She had been in a good mood that day because the hospital let her go home for a few days, and she was happy to be at home.

" He wanted to mend things but then went overboard and all of a sudden we were on a plane. I mean... there were still some hurt feelings, but Dadaji was willing to try, and that made Mama want to try as well, so she said that she going to try and reach out to her parents." Marley remembered this moment like it was frozen in time. Her mother had been brushing Marley's hair as she sat in her hospital bed, and her mother asked her that maybe when Marley was healthy again, they could all go back to India together, and Marley could meet her maternal grandparents. Marley remembered looking over her shoulder at her mother and the small, hopeful smile she had on her face. Chandra had really wanted to see her parents again and get to know her little brother and wanted them to meet Marley.

"What happened?" Yuki asked, curious if they had been able to meet up and fix things.

"Well... she passed away before getting the chance." Yuki wished he had kept quiet, feeling like he had ruined what had been a really lovely day with the question.

"We never know what might happen, and if there's any question in your heart, it never hurts to put out your hand out, just to find out." Marley looked over at Yuki with a smile, covering up the hurt in her heart over her mother and all the things she would never be able to do.

Yuki felt a little overwhelmed with the information but could feel his heart opening a bit, and he could understand what she was trying to get across. If Marley's mother was able to forgive Tetsuo and rebuild that bridge with him, then maybe he should try with his own brother. Before, it was too late.

"Ah! Sorry! That was super depressing. I was just trying to maybe give an example, but I feel like I was just rambling. I know Ayame's a lot, and I don't know much about your life, but if you want to give it a chance, I don't think you would regret it... too much. And if it does not turn out how you want.. you always have the people that care about you to turn to." Marley tried to encourage him, and he smiled at her, thanking her for her wisdom, and she just laughed and denied the compliment.

He could see why all the Zodiac members liked her. She was just an overwhelmingly kind person, but her relationship with Akito made him.. uncomfortable. How were they so close and had Marley ever seen THAT part of him?

The unstable part. The cruel part.

The baby calf finally got bored with just laying its head on Marley and left the two teenagers, the calf seemed to try and entice the cinnamon-coloured horse into playing, but Ringo just kept grazing. Marley smiled as the calf gave up on playing and found their mother and bothered her for some milk.

Marley's phone vibrated, and it was a text from 'Dadaji.'

\+ Leaving soon, but there are kittens in the blue barn in case you want to check those out, but we are NOT taking any home. +

The young woman giggled over the last bit in the text and let Yuki know the plan, and the two packed up their lunch.

"Um, Marley-San, I think you forget something." Yuki gestured to the front pocket in her overalls, and there was the small mouse who was happily asleep.

"Whoops, that would have been bad. Sorry little cutie, time to wake up." Marley giggled as she gently lowered herself to the ground and tried to entice the mouse out of the pocket. After a few shakes, the mouse woke up and scurried out of the pocket and ran up the tree, joining the other mice that had gathered

"C'mon, let's go check out the barn before we go!" Marley cheered as she grabbed Yuki's hand and pulled him along towards the barn on the property as he held the picnic basket in his free hand.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kyo rubbed the back of his neck with a towel, taking a small break from training. As he gulped down some freshwater, he heard his phone vibrate against the hardwood and quickly picked it up.

+Message from Marley+

Kyo felt his heart do a little flip, but it was gone when he remembered what she was up to. Marley was out with the damn rat doing god knows what.

He let out a heavy sigh and opened up the message, and that now came with a picture.

\+ I made a new friend! +

And the image had Marley smiling at the camera, throwing up a peace sign while what looked like a baby cow kind of chewing on her braid. He couldn't stop himself from smiling and chuckling at the picture.

Simply texting back, telling her to wash her hair.

"What's that smile for?" Kazuma's voice cut through and in his shock he nearly dropped the phone while his face went red over being caught.

"Nothing! I'm smiling at anything!" He denied, and his father-figure simply smiled at him, knowing better but decided not to push it.

"Well, I should let you know. I received a call from Tetsuo-Sama last night." Kazuma revealed as he sat down next to the boy.

"What did he want?" Kyo asked, not upset, just genuinely curious. Kyo himself had been wanting to speak with the elder of the Sohma family. There were things he needed to say.

"He asked for a meeting with me. And you." Kazuma said, watching his student's reaction and was surprised at the thoughtful look on his face.

Kyo let out a sigh. A part of him knew that this was coming but still felt uncertain.

" Are you free tomorrow? early-evening, we can have dinner?" Kazuma offered, ready to try cooking again, and Kyo already knew that he would be the one to be cooking dinner. His foster father meant well, but he wanted to eat food, not burned char.

"Ya, sure." At least he had time to try and figure out what he was going to say.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-

"Marley-San?" Yuki asked as they walked along, she looked over at him, giving him her full attention.

"Why... why did you invite me along?" He asked, feeling a little self-conscious over the question. He had been so surprised last night she had called Shigure's house and asked to talk to him. They weren't friends, not close ones, at least. They had only spoken a handful of times and other than offering to let her copy his homework that one time or getting her vegetables from his secret garden, they just didn't know each other.

" Because I thought you would like it." She simply stated as if it were obvious.

"I'm sure lots of people would have enjoyed an invite..."

"Maybe... but I think you're the one who would get the most out of it since you do some farming yourself. You seemed really happy when you were asking the farmer about his edamame." She pointed out, and Yuki couldn't help but blush, embarrassed he had gotten so excited.

"It was cute! It made me happy to see you talk about your interests. I'm sure there aren't a lot of people into farming that you can talk to." She laughed as she said so, remembering her great-grandmother trying to teach her about farming and all of it going in one ear and out the other.

"Well, thank you for inviting me," Yuki said to which Marley just responded with a bright smile and thanked him for coming with her.

The two walked along and soon entered the barn, there were a few animals in stalls. Some pigs and a few goats, a large grey horse, were in enclosures while some chickens were wandering around freely. Marley wasted no time in saying hello to each animal, asking how they're day was and giving them pats and kind words.

"Yuki, look!" Marley was holding a chicken in her hands and was impressed with how calm the brown chicken was. She was turning its body while the head stayed completely still, making her smile and remark how 'cool' it was.

She placed the chicken down and looked around the barn some more.

" Awwww, here they are. Hello." Marley was now near the back of the barn, kneeling by a crate. Yuki could swear he could see little cartoon hearts popping up around her as she cooed at the box.

" Wow, you have such beautiful kitties, good job, Mama." The girl congratulated, and Yuki decided to check it for himself.

He hated cats, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to see them.

It was a multicoloured cat, mostly white with splotches of orange and brown nursing 4 tiny kittens. They were nothing but little fluffballs. He could feel it. A part of himself was disgusted by them, and the mother was staring at him, watching him. As if she felt his distaste for cats.

"Yuki, you're making her nervous, kneel down on the ground," Marley whispered as she grabbed his pant leg to get his attention.

He didn't say anything, just knelt down on the ground beside Marley, who had simply brought out her phone to snap a few pictures.

Marley talked to the cat, telling her what a wonderful mother she was being and the cat would seem to meow at her between grooming her kittens.

After a few minutes, the cat got up and stretched, putting the black kitten in her mouth and stepping out of the box. The mother cat placed the kitten in Marley's lap. The girl seemed as surprised as Yuki but gently held the small kitten who still hadn't opened its eyes.

"Aww, they must be less than a week old," Marley told Yuki as she carefully held the kitten as it made soft little meows.

Marley thanked the mother cat who meowed and then continued grabbing her kittens and placed them in Marley's lap until the white-blonde beauty had all four resting on her blue overalls.

" You made such beautiful kitties Mama, thank you for letting me meet them," Marley told the Cat who meowed proudly, and Yuki couldn't help but lightly laugh at the scene, but making sure he turned his head and covered his mouth.

" The animals sure seem to gravitate towards you." He mentioned.

" I don't know about that." Marley denied as she smiled down at the kittens in her lap, petting them softly while the mother Cat rubbed herself on Marley's knee.

"Maybe that's why all the zodiac members like you..." He tried to joke, but Marley didn't seem to like the comment.

" I wouldn't say that.." She said softly, gently petting the black kitten.

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Well.. because you guys aren't animals. Your people." She stated, not even taking her attention away from the kittens, but Yuki felt him choke down something. He knew that Marley cared for the Zodiac members but also worried that she thought of them as some sort of freak show and took pity on them for it. But maybe she didn't think of them that way, perhaps she really just genuinely liked them.

"Miss Mama-cat, may I show Yuki your kitties?" Marley asked the cat as if they could understand each other, but Yuki was more concerned about what the girl had asked and was getting ready to refuse.

"Yuki, hold out your hands." She instructed, not even clued in to the idea that touching cats was the last thing Yuki wanted to do.

"I don't think-"

"This one's grey is just like your hair, and he is very handsome." Marley lifted a small grey and white kitten from her lap and gently placed it into Yuki's hand.

He knew he hated cats, he always had. They were stupid. And Ugly and-

The small kitten meowed weakly and prodded his little, pink nose. It was so small and fit in the palm of his hand. Yuki subconsciously brought his other hand and lightly patted the top of the kitten's head, and he could feel it purring.

The kitten was vulnerable and helpless.

Marley took a few more pictures and even snuck a few of Yuki with the grey kitten. The mother cat meowed a bit, and the two placed the kittens back carefully into the crate padded with hay and blankets.

Maybe cats weren't... awful

"Ah, this is where you two are." Tetsuo walked into the barn, and Marley asked him how the meeting had gone, and he just groaned, telling them to get into the car before the farmer made them stay for dinner.

.

.-.-.-.-.-

.

"I'm home," Yuki called out as he slipped off his shoes at the door. It was a long day, and now Yuki was unsure how well he knew anyone, mostly due to what he had witnessed in the long car ride home. Yuki still can't find it in himself to believe that during some American rap/pop song he had never heard, Marley had been able to sing along and then have the intimidating Tetsuo-Sama rap a verse. Yuki wasn't sure if he'd ever see the Sohma Elder the same way ever again.

"Welcome back. And you brought back... a watermelon?" Shigure noted the fruit in Yuki's hands, and then Marley popped up behind Yuki, calling out a hello to everyone.

"There's also some fresh strawberry jam and marmalade that the farm gifted us." Marley carried in a small case and placed it on the table.

"My dear baby brother, how was your date? Have you become a man?" Ayame raved, and Yuki's mood seemed to drop through the floor again, it was tempting to throw the watermelon right at his big brother's head, but that would be a waste of a good watermelon.

" Marley-Chan! It's good to see you! " Tohru greeted the white-blonde, and she happily gave her a hug and commented that Tohru looked cute in her outfit, which made Tohru blush and told Marley that she also looked adorable in hers. The brunette also asked if Marley wanted to stay for dinner.

" I'd love to, but I'm just popping in quickly and Dadaji's waiting in the car." She explained, both girls slightly disappointed that she couldn't stay.

"Marley-San, do you need help with cutting this in half?" Yuki asked as he gestured to watermelon but was still glaring at his brother.

"Ah, no I'll be fine, thank you." Honestly, Marley wasn't sure she wanted Yuki to handle a knife with that look in his eyes.

"Hey," Kyo called, and before Yuki could even blink, Marley was gone and flocked to Kyo, eagerly taking out her phone and began showing Kyo pictures and telling him about the day. From looking at giant watermelon to meeting the kittens. Yuki noted how the slightly irritated look on Kyo's face faded and transformed into a .. Yuki couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was weird and he didn't like it.

Kyo pulled on the strap of her overalls, making a comment about what she was wearing, and she then pointed out his own fashion choices, and he just tugged on her braid, making her laugh, the two acted like they were the only ones in the hallway.

Marley showed him something while she talked enthusiastically, and he said something which made her slightly pout, and he looked like he was about to laugh, but he sensed Yuki watching. He looked over, and the two rivals locked eyes and Kyo gave him a glare before leading Marley away by grabbing onto one of her braids and the two disappeared from his sight, but he could still hear Marley speaking in an excited tone as she talked about the day.

_Cats are plain stupid, and that is that._

The grey-haired boy went into the kitchen and placed the watermelon in the sink. He thought about cutting it in half himself, but the task looked slightly daunting, and he was sure he would mess it up. House or kitchen work was not his forte.

"Are you looking for something, Yuki-Kun?" Tohru asked as she walked into the kitchen, doing the last preparations for dinner.

"I just... needed to cut this in half but-"

"I can do it." Yuki then watched as Tohru picked up a huge knife and seamlessly cut the watermelon in half.

"What me to cut it into slices?" She asked as she held up the knife.

"Ah no, thank you, is there some way for Marley-san to take half of it home?" he asked, uncertain where they kept containers or anything.

"Of course, it looks like a delicious watermelon! Gets me excited for summer." Tohru gushed as she looked through a drawer.

"Have.. have you ever played some sort of watermelon smashing game?" He asked, curious if Tohru knew anything about it.

"Oh, yes! Mom and I used to play, it was so much fun. Why do you ask?" Her eyes lighting up with the mention of her mother and their memories together.

"Marley mentioned it.. she wanted to play."

"Oh! Maybe we could all play it together! That would be amazing." Yuki smiled at Tohru's enthusiasm and agreed, it would be fun, and he was sure Marley would agree to everyone playing together. Even if it still sounded silly in Yuki's mind.

Tohru wrapped up the watermelon in a clear wrap a few times and brought it out to Marley, who thanked her and started heading out the door.

Marley and Yuki locked eyes, and the girl then gestured to Ayame, who had his back to her. She mouthed something, and Yuki was almost sure about what she was saying, something along the lines of 'ask him.'

She wished everyone a good night and left the house.

It wasn't till after dinner that Yuki asked about Ayame's shop and maybe visiting it. His older brother was so excited that it made Yuki slightly regret asking in the first place but then remembered the soft look on Marley's face as they had sat on the hilltop, under the tree.

_"We never know what might happen, and if there's any question in your heart, it never hurts to put out your hand, just to find out. And if it does not turn out how you want.. you always have the people that care about you to turn to."_

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

The lazy Sunday afternoon sun streamed through the open hospital window, a small breeze making the curtain flutter. I had arrived at the hospital a little before lunch with slices of freshly cut watermelon to share with Zuzu, but they lay forgotten on the bedside table as I laid on the cramped hospital bed.

"Marley-Chan... visiting hours are over." A soft, high pitched voice called out, and I slightly turned to see Nurse Mika in the doorway.

" Oh, thank you, Mika." We were quiet as to not bother Zuzu as I carefully got out of bed, making sure not to touch any of her injuries.

Our visits had mostly consisted of watching movies on the laptop and me catching her up on daily life happening around the estate. But today was different.

Earlier when I walked in, it was clear she had been crying, her eyes red and swollen. When I had asked if she was okay, she had just started wailing, and no matter what I asked, Zuzu would not say what she was crying about, and I just held her as she let it all out. Eventually falling asleep while I petted her hair.

I wish there was something more I could do. Haru had told me he had tried to visit, but she was always sleeping when he came by. I'm sure he would be able to cheer her up.

_Haru said he would bring fresh flowers. Hopefully, she's awake next time he visits._

"Sweet dreams Zuzu. Feel better soon." I whispered softly and laid a small kiss to the top of her head. Her eyes fluttered slightly but stayed sleeping.

"I'll walk you out." The nurse said quietly as she opened the door for me.

"Thanks, Mika."

"Sooooooo, wanna hear something juicy?" A twinkle in her eyes over the very thought of gossiping.

"You really should be careful Mika, one day you could get in trouble or hurt someone's feelings," I warned her as we walked the familiar bright and sterile hallways.

A few of the nurses at the desk noticed me and smiled as they waved. I wished them a good day as Mika, and I disappeared behind a corner.

"Hmmm, does that mean you don't want to hear?" She teases, raising an eyebrow.

"... go ahead." I gave in, not being able to resist a juicy tidbit.

I listened as Mika went on about hospital gossip, how an intern was supposedly sleeping with a famous heart surgeon only to gain favour. Still, Mika believed it was more complicated than that and thinks the intern is now pregnant due to a bit of weight gain. Mika had no actual proof but proceeded to say that the two would have cute kids none the less.

I waved goodbye to Mika, who promised to hide some of the 'good' pudding aside for Isuzu, and I thanked her as I walked away, heading to the dance studio, still wondering what my friend had been so distraught over.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

Marley had come home to a bit of a funny sight.

Ayame was sitting at her living room table with Hatori and was somehow forcing Kyo to look through a photo album of some sort. She was used to Hatori being there, and Ayame would sometimes be there, but it was odd to see Kyo there without her inviting him. But she was happy that he was comfortable with coming over, especially with how nervous he had been in the beginning with sneaking into the inside of the Sohma Estate.

"Hello?" Marley called out as she stood in the doorway.

"Ahh, the princess makes her return to the castle! Buena sera Bellissima Principessa." Ayame proclaimed and taking her hand in his and placing a kiss on it, making her laugh, and Kyo yelled something she couldn't make out. Ayame started to tease Kyo as he sat back down on the floor, and Marley just shook her head and squeezed the orange-haired boy's shoulder to try and calm him down.

"Buena sera Ayame, Hatori, Kyo. It's nice to see you again... Oh! How was the visit." Marley immediately got on her knees and held Ayame's hands in her as eyes widened in anticipation. She had been thinking about Yuki and Ayame earlier and had said a little prayer, hoping it went well because she knew that Ayame had a kind heart and hoped Yuki could give him a chance.

Today had been the day that Ayame got to show off his store to Yuki, and Marley knew it was a big step for the two. Ayame was a little shocked at how excited Marley was for him but quickly shook it off and returned to his usual self.

"It went wonderfully, of course, he was amazed over how beautiful my store was. Why I just know it won't be long till he asks for an 'Ayame Original!' " Ayame proclaimed, very proud and happy over how the day had gone. He and Yuki also had a heart to heart talk, but that was just for him, no else needed to know.

"Of course, anyone would be lucky to have one." Marley agreed, knowing that the man's skills were not a joke and would one day commission him for a dress or perhaps another bodysuit.

"Oh, and speaking of my amazing skills. Taa -Daa!" Ayame stood up and grabbed the hanger of a clothed item hanging off the ledge of the door and unzipped the bag to reveal something Marley held dear.

" You mended it!" Marley jumped to her feet to take the hanger holding her pale gold lehenga and choli. It was clean, and the rips and tears were gone. Her hand felt the material and traced the slightly new design on the sleeves.

"A few alterations, I had to say it was an honour to work on something so different from anything I've done before. And I can't believe how heavy it was. You've not got me interested in Traditional Indian fashion, I had my assistant order me a few magazines so I could get a better understanding." Ayame informed her and Marley was looking forward to what the talented seamstress would create and recommended some Bollywood films for him to watch for research.

"Thank you so much. Ayame, I really don't know how I'll repay you." Marley gushed, thrilled that he had been able to save one of her favourite outfits.

" How about tea and a nice evening snack." Ayame patted the table and Kyo wanted to strangle him.

"You pull that shit here too! Don't you have any shame!" Kyo hissed at his bossy cousin who didn't bat an eye at the accusation.

"Aww, Kyonkichi! You're just upset that you didn't get to see Marley in that magnificent garb. Here, I have photo evidence of her ethereal beauty." Ayame proclaimed as he brought out his phone and looked for the picture of Marley wearing it at the party after her showcase event.

"I DON-" Before he could finish the sentence, Ayame's phone was shoved in his face, and there was Marley her pale-gold glittering glory. While he had seen Marley in the traditional outfit, only it was after she had been running in the rain and covered in mud. But seeing the way it was supposed to look, with a small smile on her face. It was something else. She looked like she stepped out of a fairytale, a princess of a faraway land.

The soft gold complimenting her dark skin, the large skirt bejewelled with beads that shines in the photo and her bright eyes lined in a simple dark eyeliner, making them stand out even more.

"Impressive," Hatori muttered, slightly astounded over Kyo's silence as the doctor watched the interaction.

Marley only laughed at the scene, slightly self-conscious how quiet Kyo had gotten, and told them she was going to put away the outfit and then serve tea with some snacks. She also peeked her head into her Dadaji's office to tell him hello.

.-.-.-.-.-.

As she put out cups for everyone, she leaned over the table to check out the photos they were looking at. Even her grandfather had appeared to look through the photo albums.

"Aw, is this you, Dadaji? So handsome." Marley complimented the old photo as she sat down next to Kyo to properly look at the pictures.

"I wish you wouldn't say that with such astonishment..." Tetsuo sighed, and Kyo had to hold back a chuckle.

"Sorry, Dadaji, you're still very handsome!" Marley tried to recover, but he just gave her a soft glare.

"Now it just feels like your saying it to make me feel better... I'm going to take a bath." He mumbled as he walked out, and Ayame showed her another photo album.

" Aww, and Bapu was so cute. It's weird to see him so small.." Marley had only known her Bapu to be this large, towering 6'2 man with broad shoulders, something he must have gotten from his father, but other than that, he must have taken after his mother from his eyes and general face shape.

She had never seen any pictures of her parents as kids, it wasn't even something she thought about. She wondered what her Mama looked like a child. Did her mama take after her grandmother or her grandfather? Something that would probably remain a mystery.

Marley's Bapu was smiling with his front teeth missing, he had to be seven or eight in the photo, and he was throwing up a victory sign while holding a soccer ball. Then another picture of him in what could be a high school uniform as he put his arm around a pretty classmate.

"Ah, I remember, Yuuto-Nii-chan never had any trouble with women. They all seemed to flock to him." Ayame mentioned as Marley looked at the photo.

"Really?" She knew her Bapu was a handsome man, but it was weird to think of him as a ladies man in any way, especially since he was so crazy in love with her Mama.

"Hmmm, plus he was pretty charming, even made some of the old maid's hearts flutter, but when he sang, even the birds stopped to listen." Ayame elaborated.

Marley flipped through the photos in the album, wondering where it had come from. Her Dadaji didn't seem the type to keep such sentimental things. They only family photos in the house were one in his office, her parents' photo and then Marley kept lots of pictures in her room.

There was a photo of a teenage Yuuto, possibly Marley's age, teaching Hatori, who looked to be maybe ten or younger, both holding guitars. Hatori was concentrating hard on the strings while Yuuto watched with a smile. Marley was reminded of the ten or so year difference between her Bapu and older Zodiac members and wondered how they had become so close to begin with.

There was another of Yuuto, but this time he looked to be the late twenties, he had long hair and a bit of scruff on his face, and he was with a teenage Hatori, Ayame and Shigure, playing soccer in a field somewhere.

There were so many pictures of them together, ranging from the group just hanging out to special events such as the boys' first day at school, birthdays or trips to the beach. And for every photo, Ayame had a story to tell which Marley listened to with full attention.

The only thing odd about the pictures was how little her Dadaji was in it. The single photo she found was a graduation photo, and neither Tetsuo or Yuuto were smiling. They were just standing together as her Bapu held a scroll in his hand. Yuuto's mother wasn't present as Marley had been told that she died when Yuuto was young.

Her step-grandmother was a bit of a mystery to her, all she got was little tidbits here and there.

She had seen pictures here and there of Yuuto's mother, and she had been a beautiful woman with long, curly dark hair and soft brown eyes, she had a small nose and lips. She had been told she was the kindest woman to walk the planet with a knack for getting into trouble and the voice of an angel.

Marley flipped to the front of the photo album, curious to other photos were there and came upon a cute picture.

Yuuto's mother was sitting on a ledge of a patio holding a small baby while a middle-school-age Yuuto stood to the side, both were smiling at the camera on what looked like a beautiful day.

"Oh, who's the baby? They're adorable and so tiny." Marley cooed, and Kyo couldn't help but roll his eyes at how in-love she was with some baby she didn't know. Ayame looked over to the photo and started laughing.

"Ah, that's Hatori. "

" Put it away, Ayame," Hatori ordered while trying to take the album from Marley's hands, but she leaned back, keeping it out of the Dragon's hands, her eye's analyzing the photo further.

"Wait... Hatori... but " Marley looked at the photo again. Yuuto's mother was clearly holding Hatori in her arms, which was basically embracing.

_"We change form when embraced by the opposite gender."_

If Yuuto's mother was holding Hatori then...her step-grandmother was-

"Where did you find that album?" Tetsuo's harsh voice cut through as he looked at Marley was holding. She looked up at him, and he had his arms crossed as he glared over the group sitting in his home.

The room was silent until the elder let out a heavy sigh and asked everyone to leave. Marley felt like her Dadaji was about to have a talk with her, and she would need to make a fresh pot of tea.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.


	2. Little Darlin'

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

Tetsuo Sohma watched as his Granddaughter rushed around the house, grabbing everything she needed before heading out for the day. He could tell she was in a bit of daze, muttering to herself, changed her uniform twice, even managed to slightly burn the eggs for breakfast.

"Oh, Gimli, sorry baby, no time for cuddles. I'll make it up to you later." Marley apologized to the large orange and white cat that was rubbing and weaving himself through her legs and meowing in protest.

The Sohma Elder figured she was still working stuff out, not operating on much sleep; she'd been relatively quiet for the last few days. He had asked a few times if she was alright, and Marley insisted she was fine, saying so with a smile, but he could see in her eyes she was unsure.

Hopefully, Marley would talk with him about it when she was ready, she just needed time.

Marley checked herself in the hallway mirror, putting her hair up into a messy half-bun and twirling in the mirror before letting out a little sigh.

"Have a good day, Dadaji. I'm off. Left some ladoos on the counter for you." She skipped over and laid a quick kiss to his cheek, and he mumbled a soft 'come home safe' before she smiled at him as she disappeared down the hall. How long had Tetsuo gone without the hellos and goodbyes of a family? How long had he been alone in this house and thought that he was fine? Eating single meals alone, the only people drifting through the house now and then was a maid or an assistant who needed his signature.

Tetsuo looked to the bookcase were a family photo of Marley, her parents, Hatori, Isuzu and Tetsuo rested in a black photo frame. Marley was sitting up in a hospital bed with Isuzu, who was trying to hide her face. A birthday cake with a single candle rested on the table with 'Happy Birthday Yuuto' in bark blue icing. Hatori was standing on one side and Yuuto, and Chandra were sitting at the end of the bed. Tetsuo was standing next to the bed on Marley's side, and one could see Marley's hand wrapped around his forearm, making sure he stayed in the photo, a gentle smile on her face as she was leaning back against the many pillows.

His life had changed so much in the past years. Tetsuo had gone from a lonely existence in his large house to being reunited with his son, and his family in the blink of an eye. Then Yuuto and his wife passed away in an accident, and now he was looking after their treasured daughter.

_If only I could go back in time…._

Then maybe things could have gone differently. Perhaps if he had welcomed Chandra into the Sohma family when they first met, then Marley could have grown up in the Estate, and the Chandra and Yuuto would have never been on that train.

All the things he could never change. All the things he would do differently.

Tetsuo's house had gone from just a roof over his head filled with hurtful memories to a home with warm light and laughter. The house always seemed to be full of people who were happy to be there, making new memories and eating meals together.

Marley had seemed to just slip into the Sohma family so easily, give or take the slight few who were still against her being his ward. The ones who didn't like Marley could barely say anything because not only was she Tetsuo's grand-daughter, but she was also highly adored by the head of the family, Akito. No one could understand who the two became so close, not even Tetsuo. Hatori thought that maybe Marley was softening Akito's heart.

Not enough if the recent incident with Isuzu was anything to go off of.

Though Tetsuo was still highly cautious of that relationship, always having a maid notify him when Marley entered and left the main house where Akito lived. He knew of the 'God's' cruelty to the zodiac members, and due to family politics, Tetsuo could do nothing but hope Marley did not get caught up in the dark side of the Sohma family curse.

Tetsuo let out a heavy sigh and slipped in hand into his yukata by his chest, where a secret pocket hid. Pulling out an old photo that had frayed edges and had faded do to time.

A light summer breeze blew through the house, the music of the wind chimes breaking the silence.

"Well, you'll help keep an eye on her, won't you?" Tetsuo smiled sadly at the photo, his beautiful wife smiling back at him as she wore a purple morning glory yukata, joyfully holding the hand of a young Yuuto who was giving a cheesy smile to the camera.

_I'm doing what I can._

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

Marley felt a breeze and looked up to the blue sky, a few fluffy clouds moved overhead, blocking the sun momentarily. Marley's mind was still swimming in questions, wondering what else she didn't know. All things she would she could ask her late father figure.

_What had his life been like growing up?_

_Did Mama know?_

_Is that why he barely talked about his mother?_

_"Yuuto's mother was a Zodiac member. She was -"_

A gentle pull on her skirt brought Marley out of her head, and she looked down to see large innocent gold eyes looking up at her with worry.

"Marley-Onee-Chan?"

"Ah, sorry, zoned out a bit. Have everything? Tights, shoes, hairpins, leotard? Water bottle?" Marley handed Kisa her yellow bag, doing some final checks outside her house before they left and headed to school.

Kisa ran back into her home and grabbed her water bottle, blushing as she put it in the bag.

"Okay and I'll meet you at the crossroads by the playground with the red slide right after school," Marley told her as they started walking down the stone path, passing by various people, wishing Marley and Kisa a good morning while the two girls did the same.

"Do you think…I'll do okay?" Her small voice barely carrying over the sound of cars driving past.

"It's your first class, just be yourself and stand up straight." Marley teased, lightly patting Kisa on the head.

"Do you think I'll make friends?" She asked, clearly nervous as she stared down at the pavement as she fidgeted with the edge of her school skirt.

"You'll be meeting girls who share your interests, so I think you'll make a few." Marley encouraged, catching a small hopeful smile on the sweet girl's face.

"Marley-Onee-Chan... can I ask a favour?" She asked as she came to a stop at the fork in the road where the two would go their separate ways.

"Of course, **Honey-Bee.** What do you need?" Marley asked as she leaned down to hear what the young girl wanted.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

I absentmindedly jotted down notes from history, my messy writing getting worse as the hour dragged on. My notes turned to doodles, abstract geometric shapes mixed with flowers. I was interrupted when I felt a small tug on my hair and looked over my shoulder to see orange-eyes boring into mine.

"You good?" He asked, slightly leaning forward in his seat and eyeing me, a questioning look on his face as he raised an eyebrow. Everyone else was already moving about the class, getting ready for lunch.

"Oh, yeah, just… trying to fix my notes..." It seemed to be enough as Kyo leaned back and got out his lunch. I closed my notebook and put it away as Uo stretched her arms to the ceiling, complaining that she was starving.

I wasn't feeling all that hungry, but dinner was a long way away, so I pulled out my silver tiered lunch box. I opened up the bottom one first and snacked on a coconut ladoo that I had made late last night, savouring the subtle sweetness of the coconut.

Uo turned around in her desk and grabbed one while Hana and Tohru walked over. The blonde took a bite and let out a moan of approval, chewing as she let mumbled thanks for the sweet.

"You didn't pack a lunch today, Uo?" I asked as she enjoyed the small sweet treat, popping the rest of the white dessert into her mouth.

"Nope worked late and slept through my alarm." She explained as I opened up the rest of my lunch.

"I've got lots, we can share." I offered, but as she reached for the ladoo again and I grabbed the tin full of dessert, holding it above me.

"You need to eat more than sweets!" I teased as she tried to reach above me to grab another.

"Boo! Fine." Uotani pouted as she used a pair of chopsticks for some crispy cauliflower and garlic naan. I let out a sigh and brought the tin of sweets back down to the desk and noticed that a few were missing. My eyes peeked behind over my shoulder and spotted Kyo snacking on a white ladoo as he read his comic book.

_Did he grab one when I wasn't looking?_

"Marley-Chan! That smells delicious! Is that coconut?" Tohru gushed, looking into the tin as Uo continued to dig through my lunch, grabbing whatever.

"Here, would you like some?" I asked as I held up the container, Hana helped herself, thanking me in the process.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly-" I was already placing one of the coconut ladoos in Tohru's bento, ignoring her protests.

"Don't worry; I've got lots at home. Plus, Kyo already stole some." I laughed, gesturing to behind me.

"Wha- I did not!" He denied as he held the half bitten sweet in his hand and started teeter-tottering the back of her chair with his foot while I laughed at his denial.

Lunch carried on, and Uo and Kyo got into some sort of friendly argument as Hana went off to buy something at the school store. Leaving Tohru and I a moment to talk.

"Oh, Tohru, do you work today?" I asked, remembering Kisa's request.

"No, I have today off, why?" Tohru asked, taking her attention away from the ruckus that Kyo and Uo were causing as they hurled insults back at each other.

"Kisa has her first official ballet lesson today; we were hoping that you could come," I explained her Tohru's face lit up as she started gushing about cute Kisa must be as a ballerina.

"Is it on Sohma property?"Kyo asked as he finally took a break from his 'battle' with Uo.

"No, but it's close by. Why?" I asked as I stared up at him.

"Just surprised, Kisa's mom is okay with that." Kyo shrugged and leaned on a desk behind Tohru and stared at me, looking skeptical.

_Well…. It did take A LOT of convincing…_

"I promised I would supervise, and it made her feel a lot better, plus Kisa threw in a few puppy dog looks. How could she resist?" I joked as I looked up at him from my desk, and he rolled his eyes.

"It'll be great for Kisa; she'll be able to learn ballet with other kids her age, she'll probably make new friends!" I started to go off into my own little dreamland of Kisa in a tutu with her hair up in a bun and performing at her first recital, taking group photos with other dancers as everyone celebrated their hard work.

"Sooooo, would you like to come?" I asked Tohru, hoping she could join because that would honestly make Kisa so happy.

"I- it would be an honour! I would love to! Is it really okay for me to go?" Tohru started fretting, and I couldn't help but giggle and grab her hands to keep her from flailing while telling her that it was more than okay for her to join.

"Maybe after, you two would like to come over for dinner?" Tohru offered.

"Kisa would love that." Dadaji had a dinner meeting, meaning I didn't have to cook tonight, so this worked out quite nicely.

_… Maybe it would be okay to ask Shigure a few things while I'm there…_

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Simple piano notes filled the studio as a primp, older women walked along the floor, calling out simple moves. Girls around Kisa's age were all lined up along the ballet bar, their legs parallel with their feet turned out in third position, trying to stand tall with their chins slightly lifted up.

"Demi-plie, arm to first, then arm to second. Balance for a beat. Lift your hips! Now down, tendu to second. Then lower again and repeat. Into fifth and repeat." The instructor called out as she walked the line, fixing some of the girls' postures.

"Soooo cute." Marley squealed under her breath, feeling nostalgic as she watched the lesson.

"Soft hands. No lobster claws, girls!" The instructor lectured as she walked along the dance bar, correcting a few of the girls. Kisa peeked over at her big sister figures, who gave her a thumbs up and smiles. There were about 12 girls in the class that were around Kisa's age while Tohru and Marley, along with few parents, sat on a bench.

"You've been teaching Kisa-San ballet? That's amazing Marley-Chan, she looks beautiful out there." Tohru whispered softly into Marley's ear as she kept her eyes on the class.

"Only helping her find the basics. She's got a lot of natural talent." She insisted. Marley was happy to teach Kisa what she knew but also worried that she possibly passed on some not so great habits. Marley was guilty of 'lobster claw' hands now and then.

"How long have you been dancing?" Tohru asked, genuinely curious.

"Ballet? Well, I guess since maybe a little younger then Kisa, but I don't really practice it anymore. Now I've kind of drifted off into other styles." Marley admitted, a little embarrassed at saying it out loud.

"Do you not like it anymore?" She asked, and the dancer took some time to answer, locking eyes with Kisa and reminding her to roll her shoulders back.

"I used to love it, but I don't know, I don't want to do it professionally or anything... it took up a lot of time, and I can't imagine being that committed to it anymore. It felt like a huge part of my life, but I kind of stepped away from it," She admitted. It had gotten to the point where Marley was only able to do homework on the bus rides to and from the studio, tiger balm always on hand to help aching muscles.

But watching Kisa do her lesson kind of put Marley in the mood to do a few drop-ins.

"How often did you do ballet?" Tohru asked.

"Um….. Normally 4 times a week and class could be three to four hours. And I was sore like all the time." Tohru's jaw slightly dropped, and then they heard the teacher call out an exercise and watched as the students' practices their arabesques.

"I would love to see you and Kisa perform together," Tohru said a dreamy look on her face as she pictured both Marley and Kisa in beautiful white tutus, and their hair was done in perfect buns as they danced across the stage. Marley couldn't help but giggle at the dreamy look in Tohru's eyes as she drifted off into her fantasies.

"Maybe one day you could come by the main house, I normally just run exercises with her, but we do little routines now and then for fun. We could even teach you a few moves." Marley told her while lightly hitting her shoulder with her own and Tohru started fretting, waving her hands around.

"No! I'm so clumsy I could nev-"

"YOU TWO! Hush!" The teacher of the class scolded, and the two teenagers immediately apologized and lowered their heads in shame.

They kept quiet for the rest of the lesson out of embarrassment of being caught.

By the end, Marley was practically vibrating with happiness and wrapped her arms around Kisa when she finished the class and walked over to the girls.

"I'm so proud! You looked so good out there!" Marley complimented her, and Tohru quickly followed with her own rush of compliments, and by the time we were done, the poor Tiger was a puddle of mush, covering her blushing face.

"It won't be long till we buy you pointe shoes. Oh, Tohru invited us over for dinner." Marley revealed, watching Kisa's face light up in excitement.

"Um… would… would it be okay if we watched a movie... and slept over?" Kisa asked as she looked up at her older sister figures with her large hopeful eyes.

Marley looked over at Tohru, and she seemed perfectly fine with it, mentioning that Shigure should be fine with it.

"It is a school night… but I'll ask your mom, okay?" The white-blonde pulled out her cell phone.

Tohru watched with Kisa as Marley walked away and talked on the phone for a bit, pacing and then she turned with a smile and gave the girls a thumbs up.

"I need to run home and grab some stuff, do you need me to grab anything Kisa?" The white-blonde asked as she went over a list in her head over what she needed to grab.

"…. Did you pack for a sleepover already?" Marley asked as she raised her eyebrow at the young Tiger. Kisa blushed and looked at her shoes while slowly nodding her head. Marley only let out a bright laugh before laying a quick kiss to the top Kisa's head.

"Sneaky…..Alright, I'll see you two in a bit, maybe we can do some DIY masks." Marley suggested as she walked over and placed the phone back in her school bag and waved goodbye to the girls as they split ways at the crossroads.

As Marley walked alone, she caught sight of a young boy walking a gold and white Shiba Inu. They came to the crosswalk and waited for the light to turn. The dog wagged their tail as they looked up at her.

"May I say hello?" Marley asked the boy who gave her a smile along with a small 'yes.'

Marley smiled and knelt down to give the cute dog her full attention.

"You are so cute, yes you are, such a good dog. Are you having a nice walk?" Marley cooed as she let the dog sniff her before she softly petted the top of their head, using her long nails to give the cute pup a message.

"Do you have a dog?" The young boy with a red baseball cap asked.

"Huh? Oh... No... But I always wanted one." Marley admitted, a somewhat melancholy look in her eyes as she thought back to when she was about the young boy's age.

_"Mama, please? I'll walk them and feed them and bath them." A young Marley followed her mother around the apartment, trying to debate her way into a dog._

_"I'm sorry, beta, but we can't." Her mother stated, not giving in as she shook her head at her daughter._

_"Awww Why not?" Marley whined, she thought about some of the girls in dance had dogs, and they were showing off pictures of their puppies, and Marley couldn't, but imagine how great it would be to have a canine companion._

_Marley looked back and forth between her parents and her father let out a sigh._

_"I'm allergic to dogs, I'm sorry." Yuuto apologized, ruffling the girl's hair._

_"Please!? Maybe we can get a hypoallergenic dog, that should be fine, right? Please, please, please, plea-" Marley tugged on his sleeve, hoping her large doe eyes could work their magic._

_"NO!" Yuuto yelled, and both Marley and her mother slightly jumped._

_"I... I'm sorry I didn't mean to snap." Yuuto apologized, pinching the bridge of his nose before sending a look to his wife and walking off, the slamming of a door vibrated through the apartment._

_"Beta, I'm sorry, but we can't get a dog." Chandra patted Marley's head, laying a kiss to the top._

_"...but why." Marley sniffled, not over not getting a dog, but at being snapped at._

_"I promise... one day, you'll understand." Marley's Mother hugged her close and rubbed her back while her little mind raced with what the problem was. Why couldn't she have a dog?'_

After that, she never asked again, afraid of making her father upset again.

"Maybe one day I'll get one, but they won't be as cute as yours." Marley waved goodbye to the boy and his dog, turning down the familiar road home. The young woman looked to the sky at the passing white clouds.

_Were you... ever going to tell me?_

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Hiro took a deep breath before knocking on the familiar door, hoping that this would be the day.

"Oh, Hiro, hello, come on in." A woman with short black hair welcomed him and ushered him into the house. She walked to the sink to get back to the dishes while making small talk with the young boy.

"Oba-San, where's Kisa?" The young Zodiac member asked as his brown eyes gazed around the room, trying to seem nonchalant.

"Oh... I'm sorry. Kisa is staying over at Shigure-San's house tonight... Marley-San said they were going to watch an anime with Tohru-San." Kisa's mother apologized as she put away the dishes.

The mother laughed as she joked about how much Kisa seemed to really love Tohru, and Hiro gritted his teeth, a dark, uncomfortable feeling settling in his chest.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"R-rats! I didn't know the enemy would be this strong.." A small child with boxing gloves on the screen gasped to his discount-Pikachu friend.

"Moge-"

"Are you intimidated by my mighty power, Ari?" A tall grown man with dark boxing gloves taunted the main protagonist.

The group sat around the living room table as they watched the cartoon, all of their faces coated in an orange-yellow mask.

"That being said, when I go back home, the old ball and chain will be waiting for me!" The man complained to the air, letting out an aggravated cry.

"AAAAAH! What an immature opponent... Taking his domestic stress out on me..."

Marley tried to hide a laugh behind her hand, but it came out anyway. There was something cringey yet hilarious to her about the dialogue of the kids' show. Yuki gave her a look, wondering how she could laugh at something like this as he went for another sip of tea.

"Let's Go Mogeta! Triple turbo charge swat!"

Kisa and Tohru were watching it intently, so at least they seemed to be enjoying it. Marley could name a few cartoons she would rather watch, but at least she was watching this with friends, and that's all that really mattered.

"I guess even bad guys have their problems... but maybe his wife has her reasons too... It's a complicated issue." Tohru pointed out while Kisa nodded in agreement, her large eyes watching the cartoon with intrigue.

"I do like the lipstick... I feel like Hana would look really good in it." Marley pointed out the villain's dark purple lipstick as she played with her end of one of her dutch braids.

"Hana-Chan would look great in it!" Tohru agreed full-heartedly.

"Morning-" Shigure yawned as he emerged from his home office and bedroom.

"Good morning!" Tohru returned the greeting.

Marley checked her phone to see the time, and it was already past 6 in the evening.

"Shigure... it's nighttime already. Maybe you should try sleeping like a normal person." Yuki pointed out as he judged the adult of the house.

"I became an author so I could sleep anytime I wanted! Now...why do I have a group of aliens in my house?" Shigure teased as he covered the lower half of his mouth, but they could hear him laughing.

Yuki had utterly forgotten about the bright yellow face mask he was wearing and groaned at being caught. Marley had made some sort of skin-care mask for the girls and then convinced him that it would be fun for everyone to be wearing one. It was hard to say no to those eyes. He was just thankful the Cat hadn't seen him in the mask.

"Kisa, you make such a cute little alien." Shigure cooed as he patted her head affectionately.

"We have some leftover, would you like a mask? It's turmeric with honey and milk. It's great for your skin. Feels so nice and soft after." Marley asked, and Shigure said he would be delighted, and Marley got up to grab the bowl from the fridge.

"So? What are you guys watching?" Shigure asked as he glanced at the T.V.

"An anime... it's supposed to be good. It's popular at school too, so I borrowed it..." Kisa softly explained.

"We saw the movie before it was so good," Tohru mentioned as she thought back on the Valentine double date she got to go on.

"And how is school going?" The older Zodiac member asked.

"Good. I'm trying hard. And I had my first day at ballet today, and everyone was really nice...And I'm going to try hard... because my Mom... And all of you... Are there for me." Kisa smiled softly into her lap as she spoke, Marley and Tohru's eyes glued to her small form, gleaming with adoration.

"I love you!" Both Marley and Tohru tackled Kisa and showered her with love while the boys watched small smiles on their faces, and Shigure mentioned about an 'eruption of hearts' he swore he could see.

"You guys should probably wash off. And Shigure, I'll put it on for you." Marley sat herself down in front of Shigure, and he let the girl rub his face with a warm towel and then use a paintbrush on his skin, painting on the orange-yellow mixture with care.

Shigure watched Marley's face with interest, trying to ignore the bright face mask she wore; he could tell something was off in her eyes. She would look at him, open her mouth to say something and then just continue with her task, softly stroking the mask on his cheeks and then gently holding his hair back so she could paint his forehead.

Tohru returned from upstairs with a clean face, Kisa following close behind, and they went into the kitchen to get started on dinner.

"You know... Mama and Bapu kept strange hours. Due to work. I'd be getting home for dinner, and Mama would be making her 'morning' coffee." Marley joked as she dipped the brush in the bowl again and then applied more of the mask to his face.

"She worked in show business, right?" Shigure asked as he watched her intently, and her soft amethyst eyes fill with warmth and love as she thought of her late parents.

"Yep! Mama was a dancer while Bapu made sure no one caused trouble." Marley giggled as she couldn't imagine her step-father actually hurting anyone, he just looked intimidating because of his size, but to Marley, he was about as mean as a goldfish.

The girl opened her mouth to ask something but seemed to doubt herself as she shook her head.

"I need to go wash this off. But keep it on for another 20 minutes." Marley ordered while she picked up the now empty bowl and disappeared. Shigure hummed to a tune as he felt the mixture on his face start to harden.

"I wonder what Marley wanted to ask?" Shigure thought to himself and was interrupted as the door slid open, and a boy with bright orange hair entered the house.

"Oh! The hot-blooded kid is home." Shigure greeted him, and Kyo raised an eyebrow at the Dog.

"Shigure? What the hell is on your face?" The boy as he kicked off his shoes and adjusted his bag.

"Marley-Chan lovingly painted my face. She says it's going to make me more handsome than before." Shigure boasted, and Kyo only looked around to see if he could see the girl in question.

"Marley's here?"

"She and Kisa-San are sleeping over!" Tohru piped up from the kitchen while Kisa peeked out behind her, helping with dinner where she could.

"Where is she?" Kyo asked.

"Just upstairs in the bathroom, don't go peeping Kyo." Shigure teased, and Kyo had to stop himself from throttling the adult, hissing that he wasn't a perv before letting out a sigh before he looked down the small house guest.

"You really spendin' the night, munchkin?" He asked, and Kisa looked down and stared fidgeting, trying to make the words leave her mouth.

"Why don't you try being a little nicer?" Yuki asked as he glared at Kyo while sipping a cup of tea, his face now clean and almost sparkling from the face mask.

"WHAT?! Up yours! I can act however the hell I want!" Kyo snapped, shaking his fist at the grey-haired boy before calming himself down.

"Not my problem if she's afraid of me…." He pointed out as he crossed his arms.

"Aww, I don't think she's afraid of you. Kisa's just a little shy." Marley popped out of from behind a corner and hugged Kisa close before giving her a few tickles, making the young girl softly giggle.

"Don't pop out of nowhere like that!" Kyo scolded as he grabbed one Marley's braid and tugged it softly.

"Ooops, sorry." She laughed as she smiled at him, and he rolled his eyes and dropped her hair, shaking his head.

"What're you smiling about? Cut it out. Your gonna give me a heart attack." He muttered, his ears slightly going red.

"Ah youth…I'm envious…" Shigure let out a dreamy sigh.

"What the hell are you-" Kyo started, but the adult of the house wasn't finished.

"But maybe try to keep the flirting in the house to a minimum. Everything in moderation..." He lectured, fanning himself with a blue paper fan.

"I-I- I ain't flirtin'!" Kyo denied as his entire face flushed red, and he waved his fist at Shigure, who merely gave him a 'tut, tut.'

Kisa and Marley giggled over the Cat and Dog 'fighting' before the two decided to help Tohru with dinner, and soon everyone came together for a warm meal.

But Kyo couldn't help but glance at Marley now and then, noticing that she was slightly on the quieter side as she silently enjoyed her meal and rarely gave input for conversation.

As Kyo was about to ask something, he noticed Shigure staring at him and decided he would wait till they were alone asking the amethyst-eyed girl what was on her mind.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

The sound of crickets seemed to taunt her, keeping her up. Or maybe it was all the unanswered questions she had that didn't let her sleep. Unfortunately, there were very few left in this world she could even ask.

_Where you ever going to tell me..._

Marley tossed and turned, careful not to wake the other two in the large bed. She checked the time on the clock for what had to be the 100th time and softly groaned with how late it had gotten, it was the middle of the night, and she couldn't sleep.

Gently, she got out of bed, careful not to disturb Kisa or Tohru as they peacefully slept. Marley slipped on her glasses and tip-toed out of Tohru's bedroom, moving slowly down the hallway and down the stairs, so she didn't wake anyone else in the house.

Her fuzzy socks nearly slipped on the last step, and she let out a soft yelp, but she steadied herself on the wall and continued on, thankful she hadn't fallen.

Rummaging through the cupboards, she found the glasses and went to the fridge to grab the milk carton, hoping it might help her sleep. Marley did not notice a pair of grey eyes watching her from the living room table.

"A little mouse in the kitchen?"

Marley nearly dropped the milk carton in her hands, swiftly turning around and seeing the Dog of the Zodiac giving her a cheeky smile as he looked at her over his reading glasses, a thick book in his hands.

"Shigure, you're still up." Marley let out a sigh as she tried to calm her nerves.

"The curse of the creative, I feel myself come alive with shining of the moon." He dramatically declared.

"Come sit with an old man." He gestured her over with his hand.

"I hardly would classify you as old. Would you like anything from the kitchen?" Marley asked, and he shook his head as he set down his book.

"I'm set, thank you." He said as he pointed out his pot of tea.

Marley filled her glass and joined Shigure in the living room, a night breeze blowing through an open porch door, the night sounds of insects chirping filling the room.

"I didn't know you wore glasses." Shigure pointed out, and Marley subconsciously reached up and adjusted them.

"I normally wear contacts." She revealed, feeling self-conscience in front of him. There was something about Shigure that made her squeamish, but she waved it off as Shigure was a friend of Hatori's and had given her no reason to feel uneasy.

Though she had asked Akito about Shigure, her already stand-offish friend immediately shut down, not before calling the Dog a bastard and snapping the chopsticks she had been using.

Shigure remains an enigma to her, but after seeing him in pictures with her father in her younger days, she had become a bit more intrigued.

"You look very cute in them." He gave her a flirtatious smile and winked at her making her laugh awkwardly while thanking him for the compliment.

Silence passed between the two as Shigure returned to his reading and Marley occasionally sipped on her milk, her eyes darting back and forth between the Dog and a small crack in the table.

"Something on your mind? You're making me blush with all longing looks." Shigure teased with a slight smirk on his lips.

"Ah, sorry I didn't— I was just curious about what you reading." She insisted leaving Shigure slightly disappointed that he couldn't make the girl blush with his comment, it turns out she wasn't as easy to frazzle as he hoped.

"I'm only teasing. 'The Mist' by Stephen King." Shigure knew that wasn't what the girl wanted to ask and was avoiding something, but he would play along, maybe he would learn something.

" Oh! I've read a bit of Stephen King's stuff, but a lot of it's a bit too scary for me. Are you reading the Japanese translation?" She asked as she leaned forward, and he handed her the small novella.

"No, reading it in its original English," Shigure revealed and was surprised how Marley's eyes lit up with admiration.

"That's amazing, I didn't know you knew English!" Marley said in awe.

"Well, you must be able to read in a few different languages." He jokingly waved off the compliment, but in reality, he was enjoying the praise.

" Yes, but I know how difficult it is, at least for me, it still takes me time to translate in my head even now." Marley confided and thought on her most recent book that she read outside of school.

"I recently read the Japanese translation for 'The Shining', and it took me forever, plus I had to keep putting it down because I would get scared. Bapu really liked Stephen King's books."Marley wouldn't mention that she was reading it during the March hot springs trip and threw it at Kyo's face because he startled her.

" I know, Yuuto-San's the one who actually got me into Stephen King. He lent me 'Shawshank Redemption,' and I was hooked." He revealed.

"Really?" Marley wanted to know more, hungry for anything when it came to information about her Bapu's life growing up in the Sohma Estate. It had recently become more apparent to her why her father figure was so close to the older Zodiac crew.

" You're father is to blame for my literature addiction. He was always putting books in me and Hatori's hands as kids. ." He reminisced about the kind man, but he knew Yuuto had different intentions behind feeding him all the books, but Shigure hardly blamed him for it.

" I could never read as much as he did, I had trouble staying still for too long, but I was able to catch up on a lot of reading in the hospital." Marley had tried to take advantage of being stuck in a bed for months, but even then, she didn't read that many books.

"I know. Yuuto-San would come by and keep borrowing books for you." He revealed and watched as Marley's brow lifted in surprise before thanking him profusely for letting her borrow all those books.

"Come on, I hardly ever get to show off my collection. Ignore the mess, please." Shigure mentioned as he rose up and led Marley into his office and bedroom.

Everywhere she looked, there were books. Towers of books on the table and all shelves seemed to be double stacked. The only other things in the room were a cluttered desk and an unmade futon. Marley walked up to a tall rack, and her fingers brushed against the various book spines.

A few particular books caught her eye, and she smiled as she read the titles, Shigure owned both the English and Japanese versions.

" Bapu liked the more thriller, mystery stuff while I liked the fantasy genre, but he would read Lord of the Rings with me." Marley mentioned softly as she pulled out the English version of'The Fellowship of the Ring,' flipping through it.

"With you?"

" I was struggling with English in school, and he figured reading aloud would help…. And Mama would normally sit and listen. We tried to get her to read, but she insisted she liked listening to us read it.." Marley's gentle smile appeared as she slid the book back into place, tears building up when she thought that it would never happen again.

" Sounds like you had a picturesque little family." An ugly feeling in Shigure's chest grew. He wished he could stop it, be a better man, but all he felt was envy to the girl in front of him. Everything seemed to come so naturally to her. Marley had been given a kind upbringing, no curses, only true parental love.

_"Wait till you meet them, Shi-Kun! You're gonna love them, Chandra's gonna give you a run for your money come game night, and her little girl... My god is she inquisitive, always wanting to learn, she'll pick up the language, no problem. And her eyes are like the purple hydrangea's my Okaa-san use to garden." Yuuto gleefully told him about his new family, love for them practically pouring from his very aura._

Not only had she taken away the person who Shigure once looked up to, but Marley had also stolen the attention of the one he loved most in this world.

" I was very lucky to have had them... I just wish..." Marley fidgeted with her locket.

The girl often thought about her parents, how could she not. But the last few days the white-blonde was going through her mementoes of them as if she was watching a movie, looking for clues that maybe she didn't see before. How much they hadn't shared with her, or perhaps they were waiting till she was older. Would they have told her at all?

Marley really didn't know how to bring this up and had been trying to ask all evening. But now she was too caught up in her head, and she was just trying to keep herself from crying.

The Dog of the Zodiac looked up and was surprised to see his fellow Zodiac member standing in the doorway, watching the girl with intense eyes and then he moved his glare to Shigure.

"What did you do, Shigure?" Kyo's voice cut through, and Marley immediately spun around to see him.

"Ah, Kyo! You're up late. We were just talking. Some late-night gossip," Shigure teased as he waved his hand at the orange-haired teen.

"About what?" Kyo asked suspicious of the night meeting in Shigure's study.

"It's a secret." Kyo doesn't like the look in Shigure's eyes and grabs Marley's bicep, pulling the girl out of the room and dragging her off while Shigure watched, a small smirk on his face.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"What are ya even doing up?" Kyo asked, not liking the feeling of seeing her being with Shigure alone, made his skin crawl.

"I couldn't sleep." She shrugged and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, but he caught her slightly red eyes in the light of the hallway. Kyo groaned and grabbed her hand, pulling Marley down the hall and then out to the porch.

" If your not gonna sleep, then you might as well spill," Kyo said. Marley asked if they could go up on the roof, which Kyo had no complaints as he led the way up the ladder and went to his usual spot, the girl following close behind, but stepping carefully as her socks had no grips on the tile roofing.

" So, what were ya talking to that bastard for? And what the HELL were you doing in his office?"

Marley couldn't hold back her laugh at how blatant Kyo was in his use of language.

" He was just showing me his book collection... there was something I wanted to ask him something... But I ended up chickening out..." Marley let out a heavy sigh.

"What did you want to ask?"

Kyo watched as Marley played with her hair, taking it out of the braids and letting it flow around her.

" I don't know if it would be insensitive or not..."

"Look, I know the old man told you something the other night, otherwise he wouldn't have kicked us out. And you've looked out of it since. It's obviously bothering you, might as well talk about it rather than keep it in."

Kyo thought back on the night in the woods, where they said they would share their problems. He now worried that they were just words, and maybe Marley didn't feel comfortable sharing with him.

"I-...He told me about his late wife...she was a Zodiac member." The words spilled from her lips with ease.

Little did Marley know that Kyo felt a weight leave his shoulders, relieved that she was sharing with him something that she had been scared to talk to Shigure about.

"Yeah, she was the dog, right?" He asked as he made himself comfortable.

"Ah, yes, how did you know?"

Kyo shrugged, and that made Marley realize just how out of the loop she was, even if she was a Sohma in name and considered herself close with the members of the Zodiac, she was still an 'outsider.'

"So, you really had no idea about it?" Kyo asked, watching her with his intense orange eyes.

Marley nodded before taking in a deep breath and let out a massive sigh.

".. when I was around 11 or 12... I really wanted a dog. I begged and bargained, but they said no. It was the only time I had ever seen Bapu snap. I wondered why he seemed to be so against having a dog... I thought maybe he had been bitten and was afraid." Marley told him as she leaned back and laid beside him, watching the stars.

" Now that I know... that his mother was Dog of the Zoidac.. maybe dogs reminded him of his mother...I wonder if Mama knew..."

I can't imagine... not even being able to hug your mother... because of a curse... how would you even try to explain that to a child... Every time Bapu hugged his mother, she turned into a dog.

"Bapu, the more I think about it. He hardly ever spoke of his mother, other than she died when he was young and that she was kind and beautiful..." Marley looked up to the stars, trying to enjoy the clear night sky, but her mind was just so crowded. What else was she blind too?

" I remember.. Mama used to make fun of him because… he used to be really awkward when it came to hugging. Like he would just hover his arms, not really embracing, and Mama and I used to tease him so much, and he just laughed and said that his parents weren't really affectionate people, so he always felt strange when hugging."

Bapu had probably wanted to hug his mother so much, and she had probably wished for nothing more in the world than to hold him, to hold her own child in her arms. But they couldn't.

"He eventually got the hang of it and gave some of the best hugs ever. Mama was a good teacher." She reminisced, a sad smile gracing her face.

Marley always felt protected in the arms of her parents. As she spoke, Kyo watched as she wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to recreate the feeling of being held. Marley felt her throat choking up as her eyes burned.

"God, I'm sorry you probably don't need to hear any of this. I really need to think before I open my mouth, huh.." The girl apologized as she looked at Kyo, wishing she had kept her mouth shut about how wonderful it felt to be embraced.

"I just wish... I knew more... then maybe... Just maybe." Marley reached out to the stars, like the Sohma's; she could see them in plain sight few, but no matter how much she reached out, she couldn't get a grasp on what the curse was. Every time she learned more about the Sohma family, she felt like she took a few steps back instead of forward.

A hand enclosed around hers, Kyo's rough calloused took her hand and held it in front of him, looking at her long fingers and noting that today her nails were a minty green colour.

"It's not like it's your fault were cursed. Shouldn't let it get it to you so much." Kyo tried to convince her not to worry about them, but how could she not. She was an affectionate person, and there were many times she wanted to hold the members of the Zodiacs in her arms and offer comfort, but she had to find other ways to show she cared.

But to Marley, there really was nothing like being held safely in the arms of someone who loved you. Though she wouldn't deny that the way Kyo was holding her hand, rubbing it softly with his thumb felt pretty special too, a soft look in his eyes as he looked at their hands that made Marley's mind go a little fuzzy.

To love someone so much, to be by their side even if you couldn't hold them. Tetsuo Sohma was not the most affectionate man to begin with, but Marley was so curious about his marriage with a Zodiac member.

His eyes really lit up when speaking of his late wife, she was the love of his life, and he didn't care that she was cursed. He still wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

"They must have really loved each other to get married, even though they couldn't hold one another. You could see it in Dadaji's eyes when he talked about her. " Marley sighed, wishing she had gotten to know her step-grandmother, curious to who she was.

" I think you'd have to be some sort of crazy to marry someone who's cursed," Kyo answered, and he wished he hadn't said anything as Marley slipped her hand from his and brought it to her chest and staying silent for a moment as she continued to look up at the sky.

Kyo looked over at her as she took in the night sky, her skin glowing in the moonlight, her hand subconsciously holding onto the locket resting in the middle of the chest.

" They at least had some sort of happiness together... right?" Marley asked though he wasn't sure if the question was for him or the stars.

"I guess... it's pretty rare for Zodiac members to marry...Tch, I know I'm never getting married." That much Kyo was sure of, making a point of using the word 'never.' He had only ever heard of it happening to a few Zodiac members across the time. His Shishou's grandfather, who had been the Cat before Kyo, had gotten married, but he knew next to nothing about the past Cat's wife or what kind of person she was.

"Why not?"

"What would be the point?" He said with snark, glaring at the night sky as if the stars were to blame for him being cursed.

He could feel Marley's eye's on him and avoided looking at her, not wanting to see any pity in her large amethyst eyes. Marley felt that she had brought up a sensitive subject and tried to switch it.

" Oh, Kisa looked like she had a lot of fun today!" Marley remembered that she hadn't told Kyo how it had gone.

"Yeah?"

" It was wonderful! Kisa looked great, and the teacher's nice, oh and she looked so cute when she chasséd across the floor and let out a sigh of relief after like she wasn't breathing. She must have been so nervous, but she was excited about her next class." Marley gushed as she looked on the bright side of things happening around her and all the good things to come.

"You.. really care about her, don't you?" Kyo asked.

"I do. Kisa's kind of like… what I imagine having a little sister would be like." Marley admitted she had never really like the idea of siblings when she was younger, but now Marley wished she had at least one.

Marley rambled on about ballet and mentioned a few famous ballet pieces, and while Kyo couldn't understand a word she was saying but she seemed so happy and excited for Kisa and was telling him about when she first started dance.

Kyo would mention how many hours he spent on his martial arts, and the two started talking about injuries. Marley then told him that she got a bit too cocky about pirouettes and once when she wasn't paying attention, she nearly spun off a stage. The first time Kyo attempted a high kick, his other foot slipped out from underneath him, and he went falling back.

Marley's lids began to feel heavy, and she let a yawn escape.

"… I should try and get some sleep." Marley leaned forward and made her way to her feet.

"I'll come too.." The two walked across the roof and down the ladder, Kyo went first, making sure the ladder was steady as Marley stepped down.

"Thank You, Kyo" Before the two parted ways in the hallway, the white-blonde turned to Kyo and lightly grabbed his hand.

"For what?" He asked, thankful for the dark hallway as it hid his blush.

"For listening." She simply put as she smiled over at him.

"Tch, Whatever, go back to bed already." Kyo used his free hand to rub the back of his neck.

"Goodnight, Kyo." Marley slightly rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb before lightly slipping way and disappearing into Tohru's room.

The teenager stood in the hallway alone for a moment, putting a hand over his rapidly beating heart.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

The final bell rang, and students began gathering their things, getting ready to go home to their after-school activities.

"Yuki-Kun, do you have student council again today?" Tohru asked the popular boy who nodded and smiled back at her, making the rest of the girls in the class jealous.

"Yeah, good luck at work, Honda-San." Yuki wished as he headed out the classroom door.

"Well, I'm off," Tohru said as she zipped up her bag and waved to her friends.

"See you, tomorrow.," Hana said softly

"Have a good day at work." Marley smiled at Tohru as she hurried out the door.

"You sound like a wife seeing off their husband." Uo laughed while lounging back in her seat.

"I think it's cute." Hana complimented, and Marley said an unsure 'thank you,' positive that the girls were harmlessly poking fun at her.

"Ya, I can just see it, Marley-Chan, in an apron, working away on a bento box, and then giving it to me before I leave for work," Uo stated, and Marley just laughed while Kyo told them all to shut up with their weird fantasies.

"Ahh... I wish summer vacation was here already." Uo groaned.

"I know... then we could have a little more fun with Tohru-Kun..." Hana sighed

"How about you, Marley? Wanna go bowling?" Uo asked the white-blonde, who shook her head regrettably.

"Sorry, I have dance, but maybe next time?"

"Boo! Fine. What about you jerks. Let's go bowling, yeah?" Uo asked Kyo and his friends.

"Why don't you try askin' a little more nicely?!" Kyo yelled, and Marley couldn't help but giggle at his abrasiveness with Uotani, and the irony of the comment coming from him.

" Anyway, I got somethin' to do today!" Kyo yelled, and before Uotani could call him more names; his friend piped up.

"I'll go! I'll go bowling with you!" The boy called out as he practically raised his hand.

"Alright! Follow us!" Uo pumped her fist, and before Marley knew it, they had all left and Marley was still packing up her things.

"I've never actually been bowling before. Maybe next time, it would be fun to go all together." Marley offered, smiling over at her orange-haired friend who didn't look interested in the slightest.

"Sounds like a nightmare." Before Marley could respond to that, her phone vibrated harshly, and she checked the message.

" Oh… I guess I could have gone with them after all." Marley sighed, her shoulders slightly sagging as she looked over the message.

"What's up?" Kyo asked he threw his bag over his shoulder.

"The Ballet studio has a leak, so they're closing till….. Further notice?" That was never good news, and Marley only hoped it was dealt with quickly. She had really been looking forward to ballet, in the mood for it since watching Kisa, so she was slightly dejected and wondered where she could go instead.

"Well, let's go then," Kyo said, opening the classroom door and waiting for Marley to follow.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she slid on her backpack and tilted her head, wondering what Kyo had in mind.

"The Dojo."

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

A brunette was walking along the sidewalk and checked her watch.

"Oh... I got here a little early... I'll just take my time in the changing room..."

From the sky, a brown boot fell and landing in the ground in front of Tohru.

"A shoe fell from somewhere?!" Tohru gasped as she knelt down to inspect the shoe, wondering where it came from.

"Hey. That. Pick it up." A young voice called from above.

Tohru looked up and there sitting up on a postal box was a cute young boy with sandy brown hair and large, intelligent eyes in an army green outfit.

"Pick it up!" He ordered in a snippy tone.

"Su-sure. Here you go!" Tohru picked up the boot and handed it to the boy.

"What? You actually picked it up? Idiot." The young boy snatched the boot from her hand so quickly that it made Tohru slightly jump.

"Huh...?"

"Can't think for yourself? Don't you have any self-respect? If I told you to spin around, would you do it? If I told you to jump off a bridge, would you jump?" His words came out so quickly that she had no idea how to respond, wondering what she could have possibly done to upset the child.

"No..." Poor Tohru had no idea what was going on as she felt her head spin.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"Nee-Chan?" The boy called out, surprised to see the brown-skinned beauty on the floor of the dojo as she tied on her ballet shoes.

"Hiro! What's up?" She greeted, smiling up at him from the floor.

" What are you doing here?" He asked, annoyed with how the day had gone, and Marley sensed that something was perhaps up but decided to just observe and wait to see if he shared with her or not.

"There's a leak at the dance studio, so Kyo said I could use the dojo till the regular training started." She explained as she slipped on her satin pink pointe shoes, securing it tightly with elastic and ribbon.

"What about the dance studio on the estate?" Hiro asked as he walked closer to her.

"Someone's using it for their wedding dance rehearsals." She explained, rising up from the floor and doing a few simple steps in her pointe shoes.

"Where's the Cat?" He asked, looking around but didn't see any sign of Kyo's bright orange hair.

"Still getting changed, I guess?" Marley suggested as she got up on her tiptoes and testing how the shoes felt. The girl looked around and then pouted, which caused Hiro to ask what was wrong.

"I wish there was a dance bar..." she softly pouted. The large room could make for a dance studio in many ways, it had smooth flooring and a wall covered in mirrors, but it was a dojo and not a dance studio. She had ended up using the wall to get her through her essential warm-up.

"Sucks for you." Hiro teased, crossing his arms and raising his brows.

"Can you spot me?" She asked, looking at Hiro with her large eyes and sweet smile, hoping he would help her out quickly.

"Please?"

"Fine. What do you need.."

Marley had Hiro stand in front of her, and she held onto his shoulder with one hand and using her other hand to bring her right leg and brought it up into hyperextension, essentially a standing split while on pointe.

The young Zodiac member was used to Marley's abilities at this point and used his free hands to play on his phone while Marley used him for balance.

"So, what are you gonna do today?"

"Was just going to work on some basics and try and do an old routine." She shared with him as she switched legs.

"What the-" Kyo's voice broke through as he froze as he was Marley in her black, mock-neck leotard that was tight against her curves as she effortlessly balanced on her tip-toes, or at least it looked effortless to him. He was brought out of his trance when Hiro snickered a bit.

"Hiro! How many times do I gotta tell you? No shoes in the dojo!" Kyo shouted as he marched into the room, donning a black karate uniform.

"...what's the difference? Nobody 's here yet, and she's wearing shoes." Hiro argued, shrugging his shoulders, which made Marley have to try and keep her balance on her tiptoes as Hiro moved.

"That don't make a difference! Hers aren't outdoor shoes! It's about manners! "Kyo hissed, and his attitude just made Hiro chuckle, enjoying messing with the Cat of the Zodiac.

Hiro stepped away, and Marley teetered a bit, nearly losing her balance till Kyo quickly stepped in, grabbing her wrist and steading her.

"What, you would do anything in the name of 'manners'? If someone told you it was proper decorum to die, would you do it? How about murder?" Hiro mocked, and Marley could feel Kyo about to pop off beside her.

"You should remove your shoes Hiro, we are guests here." Marley fidgeted with the collar on Hiro's green shirt, laying it down properly, and the boy sighed and, without any real complaints, started to remove his boots.

"You hair-splitting little shit... you're too big for your britches, brat..." Kyo was practically twitching with rage at the boy's flippant attitude.

"Oh? And how mature is it to get so worked up over a brat?" Hiro decided to irritate Kyo even more, and Marley giggled over the fact that Hiro had just called himself a brat, but Kyo didn't find anything funny about the situation.

"What?!"

"You two..." Marley tried to mediate but was interrupted by the door dramatically sliding open, and the three turned to see a surprise guest, huffing and puffing as they leaned over.

"Hiro-san...pocket book...give it..." The brunette panted as she tried to catch her breath.

"Tohru?" Marley called out, honestly wondering if was really seeing her friend and classmate at the Sohma Dojo of all places.

Wasn't she supposed to be at her part-time job?

"What're you doin' here?" Kyo asked, just as surprised as Marley, while Hiro wore an irritated look on his face.

"Ahh... Kyo-Kun- so this...is your master's dojo, huh?" She huffed as she continued to try and catch her breath, slowing walking into the dojo.

"You followed me all the way here? How'd you know?" Hiro asked in an unfriendly tone, glaring at Tohru.

"Hiro, did you do somethin'?!" Kyo yelled, turning around and glaring down at the boy.

"Excuse me? Am I under suspicion here? And if it's a false charge, how are you going to make it up to me?" Hiro smirked up at Kyo until he threw his hands up and shrugged.

"All I did was take her pocketbook." The young boy said flippantly, showing off what he had taken.

"Hiro!" Marley gasped, she knew Hiro could be difficult sometimes, but this was something else.

"THEN YOU DID DO SOMETHING. GIVE IT BACK TO HER RIGHT NOW." Kyo demanded, steam practically coming out of his ears.

"... The stupid girl asked me to take it!" He lied, but as he looked up at Marley's face, he saw the disappointed and confused look in her eyes he took a step back and looked at the ground, feeling the shame swirling in his chest.

"Watch your mouth brat before I rearrange your face." Kyo threatened, holding up his fist and Marley was sure he was joking.

"Go ahead, if you'd like to be held accountable for child abuse." Hiro spat back, knowing that Kyo wouldn't do anything.

"YOU-"

And Marley let out a small sigh and pulled Kyo away, stepping in between the two as the tension seemed to rise and rise.

"Hiro... you need to apologize." Marley tried to reason, but she could tell that Hiro was gearing up to say something sarcastic before a small soft voice broke over the dojo and his eyes widened.

"Hiro-Chan..."

The group turned to see Kisa hesitantly walking into the dojo, her hands placed in front of her chest.

"Hiro-Chan, did you take... something from Tohru-Onee-Chan?" The sweet girl asked, her wide amber eyes locking onto Hiro.

" **Honey-Bee**?" Marley questioned, wondering if the dojo was always this busy.

"Ah, Kisa-San! But what are you doing here?" Tohru greeted the young girl.

Momiji then popped his blonde head in and stuck out his tongue while winking at Hiro, revealing he was the culprit.

"I see... so the Rabbit is behind this." Hiro sighed, annoyed how this day was going. Everything was going wrong, and he wasn't sure what his next move was going to be as he knew no one was going to side with him.

"Hiro-Chan... you have to give it back... it isn't right for you to cause problems... For Tohru-Onee-Chan." Kisa softly called out as she stepped closer. It had been so long since the two had spoken, but hearing that name come out of Kisa's mouth made Hiro's skin prickle.

Marley watched the two with interest, they had been so close up until a few months ago, and then they suddenly stopped hanging out, not long after Kisa's accident actually. No matter how much Marley tried to ask the two what was wrong, they were shut like steel cages when it came down to the subject.

At least they're kind of talking... right?

"Hiro-Chan?" Kisa called out to him, and Marley watched as Hiro's shoulders tensed, and his jaw seemed to be clenched.

"... This is dumb.." She heard him utter before he brought his face up and gave Tohru a harsh glare.

"It's not like I need this junk!" And Hiro threw the green pocketbook into Tohru's chest, making a 'whap' sound as it hit her, and everyone in the room let out a gasp at the action while Kyo yelled out the young Zodiac's name.

"U-uum. It's okay now..." Tohru uttered, just happy to have her pocketbook back, not wanting to cause any trouble.

"No, it's not okay, Tohru." Marley sighed as she walked away from Hiro, looking at him before shaking her head and stood with the brunette. Marley was unhappy with how Hiro was treating Tohru, who had done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment. She was disappointed and confused.

Marley was about to ask Hiro what was going on, but Kisa beat her to it as she approached the boy and held onto his arm.

"What's wrong? Why are you acting like this?" Kisa asked she knew Hiro to be a kind friend who she cared for deeply and couldn't understand where this 'Hiro' had come from.

"I don't want you to do things... that make people sad," Kisa admitted, and Hiro could feel how disappointed the girl he cared for most in this was with him. Marley, being upset with him was one thing but Kisa… Hiro never wanted Kisa to look at him with those eyes.

He wanted to help her and be the one she depended on, but he couldn't find the words. And while he was trying to figure out how to help, someone had stepped in and said the right thing, and now Kisa was utterly enamoured with that someone else who wasn't Hiro. He hated it. He hated her.

"Why... Is it always her? All you do these days is talk about that stupid woman! You took that video straight to her… the one I lent to you! I… wanted to watch it with you…" Hiro snapped, glaring at the floorboards as he clenched his fists.

Kisa then questioned the attitude he had when he lent it to her, acting as if he didn't want to watch it, and it only left the poor middle schooler confused.

"Did I have to spell it out for you!? You should have figured it out!" He yelled at her, blowing up on the innocent Kisa, and everyone felt the need to call the boy out.

"Hiro, you aren't being fair." Marley tried to scold.

"Yeah, Kisa can't read minds," Momiji added as he hung off of Marley's arm.

"Shut up, Bunny!"

" I know I couldn't do anything to help you before… you were going through an awful time, and I couldn't do anything… but it's always 'Tohru-Onee-Chan, Tohru-Onee-Chan' all the time…" Hiro spat his words, frustrated with himself and directing it at Tohru.

Marley watched the two youngest Zodiacs fondly, realizing what Hiro was feeling was not so different from how she had felt when Tohru was able to help Kisa when the gentle young girl had run away and locked away her words.

Hiro was jealous.

"I mean… I... I really worry about you too Kisa, I worry a lot.." Hiro confessed softly under his breath but loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"What the hell is going on here?" Kyo sighed, annoyed with the dramatics already.

"That's because you're dense, Kyo." Momiji teased.

"What was that?" Kyo hissed at the giggling Momiji.

"Hiro was jealous of Tohru. He may be tall, but he's only in 6th grade. Hiro's tactless." Momiji explained to the still confused teenager while Marley made some sniffling noises.

"I'm so relieved. At least now, maybe they can go back to being friends." Marley rubbed her eyes to try and get rid of the tears that had built up.

"And WHY are you crying?!" Kyo yelled, giving Marley his full attention and trying to figure out what had her so upset.

"I am just happy for them." Marley fanned her face, hoping it would help.

"... You really are a crybaby..." Kyo shook his head, exhausted, and he hadn't even started training.

"I can't help it. Hiro really missed Kisa but was being so stubborn." Marley wiped away her small tears with a handkerchief Momiji handed to her.

"Shut it!" Hiro snapped as he glared at her and Marley just smiled at the young zodiac, unbothered.

"Aww, don't worry, Hiro. Kisa missed you too." Marley smiled at the two, making them both blush and turn away from each other.

" .. So I guess I was his rival?" Tohru tried to put the pieces together.

"You're in a tough spot, huh Tohru." Momiji pointed out, and the two let out a small synchronized sigh.

"Sort of a bad introduction, I guess... but I promise Hiro isn't that bad, he's actually very sweet." Marley defended Hiro's character, hoping he had a chance to make a better impression soon.

"Are talking about the same brat here?" Kyo asked.

Marley heard Kisa softly asking Hiro to apologize to Tohru.

"That's right, Hiro; Tohru's late to work because of you." Momiji pointed a finger at Hiro, and the young boy just looked off to the side, embarrassed about the actions that led him to this point and too prideful to apologize.

"N-never mind that! An apology isn't good enough!" Tohru stuttered, but with a determined look on her face, her eyes locked onto Hiro.

"Huh?" Marley, Momiji and Kyo all dropped their jaws, astounded of the words that left the always agreeable Tohru's mouth.

"Hiro-San needs to be punished." She announced, which only left the rest of the group even more confused.

"Excuse me? What do you mean to do?" Hiro challenged as he rested his hands on his hips. The group watched as Tohru went into deep thought, all curious as to what she was going to say next.

"Your punishment is…. A hug!" and before Hiro could avoid it, Tohru had practically leaped forward and wrapped the boy up in an embrace and instantaneously, there was a 'pop' sound and a flurry of light green smoke.

"I'm stealing that! Watch out Kyo, next time you do something and try to apologize, I'm hugging you." Marley giggled as she grabbed Kyo's sleeve and tugged it playfully, figuring he was the last person who wanted to be hugged.

"That's stupid, how is that a punishment?" Kyo asked while looking away from Marley, a small blush on his cheeks.

"Tohru must have been curious about which animal he is," Momiji said through a light giggle.

Marley watched as the smoke cleared, and there in Tohru's hand was a small, shaking lamb.

"It's nice to meet you… Hiro-San!" Tohru happily smiled at the boy who looked like he wanted to run away and never return. Marley was relieved how everything turned out, and Kisa looked happy as well. Hopefully, it would be somewhat smooth sailing for those two from now on.

Momiji escorted Tohru to work while Kisa and Hiro disappeared off somewhere, maybe to make up for the lost time, and soon it was just Marley and Kyo in the dojo.

"I'm exhausted.." Kyo complained and rolled his shoulders back, stretching them out.

"At least it was all settled easily enough." Marley quipped, smiling over at him and then something clicked as she took a good look at him in his black gear.

"Kyo! You look so handsome!" Marley complimented honestly.

"WHAT!?" He yelled, jumping slightly, and the girl could have sworn she saw little orange cat ears pop out of his head.

"In your karate outfit, you look so cool." Marley gushed, walking around him and blatantly checking him out.

"…. It's uniform…dammit."

"Ah, sorry, but you look great in it! Like an action movie star!" She just kept laying on the compliments, and the teenager couldn't take any more.

Kyo stomps away, and he yelled at her about doing whatever she needed to do before they had to kick her out in an hour, slamming a door shut behind him.

Marley shrugged and returned to her phone, picking a song and playing a track from the ballet, 'Giselle' on the speaker the dojo provided, testing herself on how well she could remember the choreography that had once been drilled into her.

Her mind wandered to Kyo, standing tall in his karate uniform.

_He really did look handsome... Kyo must work out a lot._

And as Marley checked her position in the mirror, she noticed a small blush on her cheeks and quickly tired to fan her face to try and get rid of it.

"I haven't even started, and I'm all flushed, must be the heat." She excused the blush and tried to calm herself down, ignoring the fast pace of her heart.

I'm just excited that Kisa and Hiro finally made up, and hopefully, Hiro can learn to get along with Tohru.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Hiro had chosen to spend the following afternoon at Shigure's house with Kisa. It had driven Kyo up a wall, so much so that he finally stormed out of the house and his feet automatically took him to the Sohma Estate, expertly climbing the tree to the top of the large fence and dropping down to the other side.

Kyo walked up to the large house, and he heard loud up-beat music as he walked through the garden and up to the porch.

Slipping his sneakers off on the porch, he walked into the living room and quickly found where the music was coming from.

There, in the kitchen, was Marley mopping the floor while dancing to the upbeat music. Kyo crossed his arms and watched with a smirk on his face as this wasn't the way she was dancing yesterday in the dojo…No, this was… just silly looking. But she looked like she was enjoying herself. Kyo spotted the large orange and white cat sitting on the window sill, Marley seemed to be serenading him.

_Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe_

_It's hard to look right at you baby_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe_

Gimli caught sight of Kyo and immediately arched his back and hissed at him before running off. This made Marley turn around, and she let out a gasp when she saw Kyo. She dropped the mop and brought her hands to her heart, her face going red.

"Kyo! Hey…. How long have you been standing there?" She asked as she picked up the mop from the floor.

"Long enough. Nice moves." He smirked, feeling somewhat proud of catching the girl off guard and seeing her face go so red was definitely a sight he was going to log away in his brain.

Marley laughed it off and offered him so tea while asking what he was doing over, putting away the mop and wiping her hands on her black leggings.

"Hiro and Kisa are over watching some video together." He said as he watched her move around the kitchen.

"Aww, well, that's nice," Marley said, thinking that things must be going well.

"Hiro's ordering Tohru around." Kyo scoffed as he crossed his arms.

"… well, that's less nice." Marley sighed, wishing Hiro wasn't too rude to Tohru.

"How can you stand that brat?" Kyo groaned as he sat at the table as Marley was in the kitchen, serving up two cups of iced chai.

"Hiro?" She asked as she joined him, placing a cup in front of him while sitting down and making herself comfortable, taking her hair out of the top bun and letting her long hair fall to the floor.

"Yeah, he's a pain in the ass." He explained, swirling his cup before taking a sip, his craving relieved for the sweet yet spiced taste of the chai.

"He's really not that bad." Marley defended, she did know that Hiro could be difficult but beneath that sarcastic and somewhat witty exterior was a sweetheart, if you squinted.

Kyo didn't seem to believe it and rolled his eyes, and he just couldn't see why the two were so close, and then a past conversation popped into his head.

It was when the three of them had been making sweets; it was the first time he had seen Marley interacting with Hiro.

"You mentioned that you wouldn't be here or something without him? What was that about?" Kyo asked, genuinely trying to see what Marley or Kisa saw in the bratty boy.

"So I was about to be… deported back to the states and I was being-"

"Stubborn." An old gruff voice chimed in, and the two teens turned to see the old Sohma going to sit on the porch, loosening his dark blue tie.

"Welcome home, Dadaji." Marley greeted and offered to get him a cup of tea, but he just shook his head, lighting up a cigarette, making sure it wasn't blowing into the house. Marley would have said something, but he figured he must have had a tough day and held back from scolding him for smoking.

"You were being deported? When?" Kyo asked, surprised by the information.

"Last summer. After my parents died, I had no official living relatives that the government knew off, so I was going to be sent back to the States to be put into foster care." Marley explained quickly, not wanting to get into too many details.

"What does Hiro have to do with anything?" Kyo asked as he raised a brow at the girl.

"Well, I didn't want to just ask Dadaji to go to all the trouble…"

"So the 'brat' recorded her crying about wanting to be a Sohma and brought it to me. And Marley became an official Sohma member." Tetsuo nodded proudly before disappearing into the house, complaining about the uncomfortable 'monkey suit.'

Kyo was reminded that Japan had only been her home for a short time. It wasn't that long ago that they were living in two separate countries, their lives completely different. Marley had been living her life in America alongside her parents, living a relatively normal life. And now?

" Do you… like it here?" Kyo asked

"What do you mean?"

"Like, do you miss home or whatever."

"I-… Sometimes I guess. There are times I miss even living in India. But it was never about the place… I miss them more than anything."

Marley missed playing cards with Bapu at their kitchen table, him telling her about a new book while Marley joked about 'when would the movie come out?' Marley missed watching Hindi films with Mama in bed while she brushed her hair with care.

"I love my life here, I do. I love Dadaji, and everyone and I feel so lucky to have them. I just wish Mama and Bapu could be here too." Marley slightly fidgeted with her locket before dropping it.

" This is home, here with you and Dadaji and everyone... even though I still have a lot to learn about everyone... Being here makes me happy." A gentle smile on her face that made Kyo's heart jump.

Kyo thought that if Hiro wasn't such a brat, he would tell him, 'thanks for looking out for Marley'. But Hiro always managed to hit all the wrong buttons when it came to the temperamental teen, and Kyo imagined the two would never be able to have a proper conversation.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Hatori was working away in his home office, organizing his files till he was interrupted by a knock at the porch door, Shigure's head peeking in as he waved a bottle of sake.

"A little peace offering?" Shigure smiled innocently at the family doctor.

"…fine… " Hatori let out a sigh as he put down the papers and went to grab some cups.

"Hiro and Kisa were spending some time at my house. Seems they made up." Shigure mentioned as he poured out the clear liquid.

Shigure and Hatori had known that Hiro had revealed how he felt about Kisa to Akito, had Hiro asked them they would have stopped the boy, but what's done is done.

"I guess Hiro had no idea how Akito would react after being told that. Maybe he was more afraid of not saying anything. It took two weeks for Kisa to heal from the injuries Akito dealt her." Hatori explained before he took a long sip from his cup.

"Akito gave her a good beating, huh." Shigure lit up a cigarette before tossing Hatori the packet and lighter.

"So Hiro avoids Kisa and then she gets bullied at school…Marley was trying to help, but they couldn't tell her about what Akito had done…" The Dog of the Zodiac put together the pieces with ease.

"If it meant being the cause of someone dear to him getting hurt, Hiro would rather become a coward. I'm sure Hiro is angry at himself, but he doesn't know what to do about it...because he can't blame Akito." Hatori lit up his own cigarette, taking a long drag.

"So he takes it on Tohru-Kun? The irrationality of youth... I suppose." Shigure sighed as he shook his head.

"That's almost rich coming from you; You went out of your way to make things difficult for Marley out of jealousy. Childish." Hatori scolded, throwing the lighter back at Shigure, who caught it in one hand.

"I'm just a kid at heart. Obnoxiously so… " Shigure hoped to steer the conversation away from his weak moment, his little scheme hadn't worked, he'd only managed to make Akito more furious at him.

"Who will it be first? Will Honda-Kun eventually bear the brunt of Akito's anger? Or Marley… What a mess." Hatori thought out loud as he stared out over the garden outside his office.

"It's a good question. I would hate for a repeat of what happened to Rin. But she's getting out of the hospital soon, right?" Hatori nodded, blowing out smoke into the breeze.

"Haa-Kun and Marley-Chan must be a little relieved." Shigure offered, off the top of his mind, those two were closest to the Horse of the Zodiac.

"The nurses finally let Marley sleepover for a few nights; those two are a stubborn tag team, but Marley kept Rin from trying to escape the hospital at least," Hatori revealed, his mind flashing to when he dropped in for a visit. The two were watching some sort of scary movie. The two nearly jumped out of their skin when he walked into the room.

Marley had even thrown an empty pudding cup at him and then spent the rest of the visit laughing while trying to apologize.

Shigure rested his head on his hand, looking out the window into the garden.

"I don't know why... but all of us… suck at the important stuff… Being in love, taking care of another. Is it supposed to be this difficult?"

"Make you think… where's Yuuto-Nii when you really need him. What would he say?" Shigure mused.

"He'd tell us both to quit smoking for one," Hatori suggested, putting out the end of if his cigarette in the small white ashtray.

"Tell me... has Marley learned anything new recently?" Shigure asked, a playful look in his eyes. Hatori honestly wasn't sure if he should share, but his senses were dulled a bit by the long day and alcohol.

" We were looking through photos with Ayame, and she came across one of Tetsuo's wife holding me as a baby." Something clicked in Shigure's head, and he let out a giant 'oh.'

" Hmm, I wondered why she kept staring at me the other day." Shigure chuckled.

"She's kind of fun.."

" Shigure, I swear I will take a needle from my drawer and-"

"Woah, I'm just joking... I should have said... That I'm interested in what'll happen next is all. Don't worry, I'll just watch. Besides, I feel like I won't have to do much anyway." Shigure promised as he waved his hands at miffed Doctor.

_Maybe a nudge here and there_

Shigure thought back to the night of Kyo's transformation when the white-blonde came storming into his house, drenched from the rain. All because she had been worried... she had a fierceness that even made him back down.

"Why are you smiling while you say that?" Hatori asked as he raised an eyebrow. The air between them still felt tense, and Hatori wasn't afraid to back-hand him again if he caused problems, a childhood friend and zodiac member or not, Marley had been through enough.

"Yuuto said that she was inquisitive.. You can see it in her eyes, but she seems unsure. But if you say she's stubborn, then I feel like something's bound to happen." Shigure mused before downing his glass of sake, a smooth burn making its way down his throat.

_It's kind of exciting._

Hatori let out a massive sigh and started topping up his wine, praying for some deity out there to give him the strength to deal with his cousins while also make sure Marley stayed out of trouble.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

Marley let out a small sneeze before apologizing and turning back around to enjoy some T.V with Kyo while sipping on the iced chai. It was calm till a new guest came stomping in, ripping his shoes off at the porch and throwing them down.

"What happened to you?" Marley asked as she noticed Hiro's drooping shoulders and the boy's pinched brow.

Hiro just trudged into the kitchen without saying anything, and Kyo noticed the worried look in Marley's eyes as she watched the young boy. Her purple amethyst eyes met his orange pair, and she gave him an apologetic look before getting up and disappearing after Hiro.

Tetsuo finally came out of his office and took a seat where Marley was sitting, changing the channel to the news as he reached for a sweet. Kyo leaned around the elder sightly so he could watch Marley and Hiro and listen in on their conversation, just in case Hiro was a brat or something.

"When Kisa was struggling… I wanted to help… I did it!" Hiro basically stomped his foot on the kitchen floor.

Kyo could barely make out Marley as she took Hiro's small hand and led him to the chairs in the kitchen, Hiro's legs slightly dangling as he sat down, and Marley took a seat across from him...

"You know... I was jealous when Tohru helped Kisa..." Marley admitted as she scratched the back of her neck, and Hiro's eyes nearly came out of his head as she looked at her.

"What?! Why?" He snapped, he really couldn't understand why.

"Well… I wanted to help Kisa and was trying really hard to be there for her. But it wasn't what Kisa needed at that moment. Tohru was what Kisa needed and… I was so disappointed with myself for not being good enough, and I wished that I was more like Tohru, and I was mad that where I failed, Tohru had succeeded." It was an ugly feeling that Marley was uncomfortable with, but these were human feelings, and everyone got them, Hiro just needed to learn not to lash out because of them.

"I was mad at myself for not being more like Tohru," Marley revealed, looking to the side as she exposed an embarrassing secret.

" No! I would hate that!" Hiro snapped as he grabbed her hand and Marley tried not to laugh at the angry look on his cute face, and he blushed and brought his hands back to his lap.

"But I can only be me, and Tohru can only be Tohru. Plus, what really mattered was that Kisa got help." Marley reminded Hiro, but he just glared down at the kitchen tiles as Marley noticed his small hand fists shaking.

"Hiro. I know you love Kisa." Marley took Hiro's hands in hers, trying to offer some comfort.

"Tohru loves her too. And Kisa deserves all the love in the world. Kisa needs you too, Hiro. You're going to have to learn to get along with Tohru. And who knows? Maybe you two can become friends." Marley gave his hands a small squeeze along with a smile.

"… fine… but I'm not gonna kiss her ass or anything…" Hiro jumped off the chair and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Marley laughed at Hiro's expression and had to stop herself from hugging him, instead kissing the top of his head, which made him blush wildly.

"I've got to get going, but there's some ladoo on the living room table if you want some," Marley told the young boy as she grabbed her duffle from the tatami mat in the living room.

"Dance?" Kyo asked as he looked up at her.

"Yep. The ballet studio still has a leak, but I'm heading for a hip-hop drop in at the other studio." Marley explained as she put her up in a high pony-tail.

"I've gotta head out.." Kyo jumped up and went to put on his shoes.

"Oh? So soon? " Marley asked as she tilted her head slightly.

"He wants to walk you to dance." Tetsuo teased as he smirked up at the boy.

"Shut it, Old man!" Kyo snapped, which led to the Cat of the Zodiac getting hit square in the face with a coconut ladoo, curtesy of the Sohma Elder. Both Hiro and Marley let out a small laugh, well Marley tried to hide a small laugh while Hiro freely snickered.

The white-blonde dancer saw the look of death Kyo sent Hiro and decided to get Kyo out of the house before anything else could happen. Marley grabbed his hand, and they made their way through the garden, and she only let go so they could make their up and over the Sohma Estate wall.

As Kyo waited for her to make the final step down, she thought that there was still something bothering Marley. She wanted to make it so Kyo wouldn't have to sneak over the wall into the 'Inside' of the Estate. To walk through the front gates and be a true part of the family.

And there was only one person who could truly make that happen.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> Coconut Ladoo (laddu)- ball-shaped Indian sweet.
> 
> tendu- stretching your leg and foot out from one position to another, while keeping it on the floor
> 
> third position - feet remain pointing outwards, but one is placed in front of the other, the front foot's heel touches the back foot's instep
> 
> fifth position - standing with the feet turned out so the front foot's heel touches the back foot's toe
> 
> arabesque- dancer stands on one leg–the supporting leg–with the other leg–the working leg–turned out and extended behind the body, with both legs held straight
> 
> Beta- a term of affection from an older person to a younger person, normally used by parents and grandparents to their children.
> 
> Also popped Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Call Me Maybe' in there because... why not
> 
> Hello!
> 
> My goodness, what has the world come to! I hope everyone is doing okay and staying safe, sane and healthy.
> 
> My apologies, I did not have a computer for a while so that meant no writing was getting done. This chapter was a little long but I think I was subconsciously trying to make up for the chapter delay. Also, there are LOTS of Kyo moments in here, I was feeling down due to the state of the world and decided that everyone could use it lol
> 
> I did break down and commissioned an artist to bring Marley to life so please check out my Tumblr, .com, to check her out. Maybe next I'll get someone to draw both Marley and Kyo.. TOGETHER lol
> 
> Thank you for reading and thank you for your patience.
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos and comment if you enjoyed, cheers.


	3. Stir It Up,

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.

.

Isuzu stared out the window, the summer breeze blowing her long, straight hair back. Most of her injuries were healed. The only bandages left were around her upper back and chest; the large wound in her shoulder was still sore and would scare, but it was mostly healed.

Soon, she would be out of here, but she still wouldn't be free. No, Isuzu would still very much trapped in her own body, unless she found a way...

"Morning, Zuzu!" Marley muffled voice cut through the silence, opening the hospital room door as she struggled to carry the drink tray in one hand and the handle of a tote pink tote bag hanging from her teeth.

A small smile graced the ebony-haired beauty's face as she watched her comically balance everything.

" One vanilla late with soy for you and they had these delicious looking blackberry muffins, so I thought... breakfast!" Marley placed the paper bakery bag from out of the tote and put it to the side.

"...thank you." Isuzu's insides couldn't help but warm over the gesture, to Marley it was so simple to grab and share stuff with her, but it meant so much to the Zodiac member.

"And I also found... Looks it's a colouring book of rangoli patters! I thought it was a little odd, but all the designs are super pretty." She had been perusing through a craft store and came across the colouring book section, it actually said 'mandala's on the cover but to Marley they were similar enough. Okay maybe mandala's where a bit more complicated but same principal.

"Aren't colouring books for kids?" Isuzu judged, but Marley was barely bothered.

"Are you saying that if I open this up and start colouring, you AREN'T going to pick up a coloured pencil and join in?" She challenged, a somewhat cheeky smile on her face.

Isuzu slightly huffed and moved over in the bed so that Marley could fit in the bed beside her, and she put down the colouring book on the floating bedside table along with some pencil crayons.

"To tell you the truth, I was half-expecting you to be still asleep, it's still early." Marley teased as she picked up a pink pencil and started filling in her page.

"I haven't been sleeping well," Isuzu admitted as she grabbed a deep eggplant-coloured pencil and started from the inside of her chosen mandala pattern.

"Well... Maybe once your home, you'll get some good rest." Marley hoped, excited for her friend to be free of the hospital.

Isuzu wanted to sneer.

_._

_Where was home?_

.

It wasn't Kagura's house... it's wasn't her parents' house... Isuzu had felt close to having a home, but it was taken away before she even had it.

" So, I'm supposed to have a Shodou tomorrow..." Marley mentioned, changing the subject.

"Pfft." Izuzu slightly smirked.

"Is my kanji that bad?!" Marley slightly whined, embarrassed at how widely known her shortcomings were.

" I can barely read any of your notes when you drop stuff off..." Isuzu pointed out a 'get well' card Marley had left when Isuzu was first admitted.

"..man... I really thought I was getting better... the teachers must be taking it easy on me since I'm a foreigner..." Marley covered her face in slight shame.

"You know who has really nice writing?" The Zodiac member brought up, a kind face with soft brown eyes entering her mind.

"Who?"

"Ha-…" But as soon as the first syllable left her mouth, she locked her jaw. It hurt to even utter the name.

"Zuzu... I know you don't want to talk about it... but I'm right here, whenever you need me... do you want to talk about it?" Marley tested the waters. Marley knew that Isuzu had ended things with Hatsuharu, and while she was baffled as to why Isuzu made that decision, she assumed that Isuzu had her reasons.

"Marley.."

"I just...look I know you guys were a secret, but that doesn't mean-"

"Please... just... no," Isuzu begged Marley, her large brown eyes silently begging as she looked into Marley's bright amethyst eyes.

"Alright.." Marley dropped it, but at the back of her mind, she was still thinking about how to make her friend feel better as she watched the aching girl pick up a black pencil crayon and add it to her pattern.

"Me and my Naniji use to make these together when the festivals came around," Marley mentioned, and Isuzu remembered last fall when the white-blonde had made a pattern out of flowers for some sort of Indian holiday.

"Like the one with all the little oil candles and flower petals?" Isuzu asked as she picked up multiple pencils and tried to figure out which colour to use next.

"The rangoli For Diwali... Sometimes out of flowers or dyed sands, sometimes both. I was always sad when we had to get rid of them." Marley admitted as she picked up a royal blue pencil crayon and handed it to her friend.

"Here, you should put this one in yours." Marley offered.

"Blue? Why?"

" Makes me think of you, Naniji told me that the colour blue meant for the warrior." Marley revealed, smiling at Isuzu as she took the pencil with slight hesitance.

Isuzu scoffed at the thought, she hardly saw herself as a warrior and really didn't see how blue meant warrior but as she filled in her pattern, she admitted to herself that the blue really did add something to her design and this was really therapeutic.

Marley picked up the yellow pencil and coloured in parts of her page before switching to a saffron-coloured pencil.

"Wait... Isn't it a school day?" Isuzu asked as Marley picked up her take out cup and took a sip of her latte.

"Eh. I can be a little late." Marley shrugged, happy to skip a class or two to spend time with Isuzu.

"... You have math first, don't you?" Isuzu bluntly asked as she raised a suspicious eyebrow.

Silence. Marley even looked away as she felt Isuzu's large eyes seeing right through her.

Isuzu laughed, and that just made Marley laugh with her, slightly embarrassed over being caught, but at least Isuzu was smiling now, and Marley would take a small victory.

.

.

.

Three figures looked over the school courtyard from the 2nd story hallway window, all standing vigilant as they watched over their treasured Prince, making sure a certain someone didn't pull anything funny.

"Look at her. She really just... Like who does she think she is?" Prince Yuki Fan Vice President Kinoshita sneered as she looked out the window.

Marley was simply walking with Yuki, and the two seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, Marley said something, using large hand gestures to tell her story and the popular boy laughed.

"The White Witch is certainly a conniving woman... but we'll bring her down eventually." President Minagawa assured her right-hand woman.

" Hey... isn't that girl from your class, Minagawa-Senpai?" Minami Kinoshita pointed to a girl with dark shoulder-length hair, a blue hair clip holding back her bangs approaching Yuki and Marley.

"Huh? Oh yes, Kita Sawako."

"She recently quit the Prince Yuki club, didn't she?" Prince Yuki Fan Club member Gotou Mai asked, crossing her arms in disapproval, she didn't understand why anyone would walk away from the Prince Yuki Club, it was simply unheard of.

"Yeah, her and Ito Ryunosuke started dating, so I guess her love for Yuki was clearly false." The President confirmed but kept her eyes on the movement of the three students.

Kita Sawako bowed her head and put her hands in a begging position, appearing to be asking for something from either Yuki or Marley, she couldn't tell.

" I don't like it. Whatever it is." Kinoshita narrowed her eyes, Sohma Marley was clearly scheming something.

"Have we found out how to bring her down," Minagawa asked, her eyes still watching the scene. Marley and the 3rd year Kita were talking while Yuki seemed to take a step back, perhaps to polity offer the girls some privacy.

Marley nodded to something that Kita asked and then the 3rd year deeply bowed vigorously while Marley laughed and waved her hands about, trying to get the girl to stop bowing, a small blush on her cheeks.

Kita waved to both of them and ran off, and Yuki joined Marley's side, and they held a conversation as they continued to walk across the courtyard.

"Her and the Honda Witch are difficult to touch, it feels like they're always surrounded by either the Demon and the Gangster or Sohma members," Kinoshita reported.

"We could plant spiders in her desk?" Fellow 2-A Prince Yuki Fan club member Gotuo Mai out forward.

" I doubt that will work, remember there was a huge spider in the corner of the class last week, and one of the boys tried to stomp on it. The White Witch practically swooped in and carried the spider outside, IN HER BARE HANDS." The 2nd year girl shivered as she relived the memory, disgusted with the foreigner's actions.

"Looks like we'll have to be a bit more cunning than childish pranks." The President declared to her members as they continued to glare at the unknowing Marley.

.

.

.

Marley let out a high pitched sneezed as she and Yuki were catching up, enjoying the small lunch break walk, and Yuki offered her a tissue.

"Allergies?" Yuki asked, and Marley shook her head after she thanked Yuki for the tissue.

"I don't think so."

"Perhaps someone is talking about you." Yuki joked, and Marley laughed and mentioned that if that superstition was true that Yuki would be sneezing all the time due to his fan club.

At the very mention of the Prince Yuki Fan Club, the boy let out an annoyed groan and his entire form kind of slumped forward and Marley could only giggle at his despair, she found the whole thing slightly entertaining.

.

.

.

"I'm home!" Marley called out as she slid open the front door and slipped off her flats.

"Welcome home. How was school?" Dadaji looked up from his book and watched as Marley basically whizzed past him and went upstairs. Marley called out that it was 'interesting,' mentioning that a girl in the 3rd year asked if Marley would model her aerial silks for some sort of photography project.

It wasn't long before she came back downstairs and was dressed in a simple causal white dress that went to her mid-calf, perfect for the humid summer afternoon heat.

"Interesting choice to wear to your calligraphy practice with Naomi-San." Her grandfather reminded Marley, and she tried not to grimace at the thought of the cultural arts teacher who had been assigned to tutor her.

They didn't meet up often, but when they did, Marley felt like she might as well put a dunce cap on because Naomi made her feel like the village idiot.

"Ah, I thought that was tomorrow! I already promised I would hang out with Akito..." Marley really wanted to see Akito; for one, it had been a while since they had hung out, and she also wanted to ask an important question.

"Wait, what if I get Akito to help me practice?" Marley had already brought out her phone and was texting Akito to ask if it was okay, she quickly got a reply text; 'fine, see you soon.'

"Well, I-"

"Please, I know Naomi-San is gonna get on my case about not practising enough, let me practice with Akito, try and be a little more polished before I meet with Naomi-San. Please?" Marley pleaded, trying to use her big eyes to soften up her Grandfather.

" Fine.." he gave in, folding like a house of cards.

" Thank you! I'll try and be better next time." Marley apologized as she pressed her hands together in prayer position and bowed her head as she apologized.

The old man only let out a sigh and told her that it was fine. Marley hugged him and gave him a quick kiss to the cheek before grabbing her sandals and slipping them on at the porch.

"Not going to change? You might stain your dress."

"Well... maybe if I wear white, I'll be encouraged not to mess up?" Marley justified, but the deadpan look on her Dadaji's face proved that he didn't believe in her, but he supposed he would let the girl learn the hard way and gloat later with an "I told you so."

"Okay, bye, I'll be back to make dinner! I hope you don't mind Italian. Oh and Momiji mentioned he was coming by, oh and Kyo might come for dinner after training! Bye!" And waved goodbye as she jumped off the porch and headed off.

Tetsuo let out a sigh and shook his head, settling into his book, but not thirty seconds later, Marley was back and slipping her sandals off before zipping back into the house to the kitchen, Marley was opening the fridge, grabbing a few Tupperware containers.

"Almost forgot the ladoos. Okay, now I'm gone."

.

Marley walked through the Estate, quickly chatting with a few Sohma members hear and there before she finally made it to the Main house on the Estate where Akito lived.

The white-blonde teen slipped off her brown sandals.

"Welcome, Marley-San, Akito-Sama is ready for you." One of the maids greeted Marley, and the friendly teenager smiled.

"Please, just Marley is fine. Oh, here, I made these for Akito, but I ended up making so much. Here some for you, and the other workers."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly-" She made numerous small bows, but Marley just asked her stop and then put the blue Tupperware in her hands.

" I insist! Please! I made so much, and I'm happy to share." Marley smiled at the maid, and then the woman dipped again into a bow, thanking her again, and this time Marley bowed back, mentioning that she hopes that everyone enjoys them.

The maid walked Marley to Akito's quarters and opened the sliding door. Marley thanked her and walked in and was slightly shocked to see that most of the tatami floor was covered in books strewn about.

"Umm. Akito.?"

" There you are. Took you long enough." Akito barely looked at her while she continued looking through a book before putting it down and picking up another from an organized shelf.

"Hello to you too." Marley giggled, and Akito lightly huffed while a small blush graced her cheeks.

" Your lucky that I'm willing to help.." Akito playfully glared at her and Marley just laughed.

"I know, thank you again, but I didn't mean for you to go to all this trouble." She gestured to the room and the table that had piles of washi paper and all the calligraphy tools ready to go.

"No trouble at all, I had Kureno set up the table and gather everything," Akito grumbled as she continued to flip through the pages of the thick book.

"Oh, well, tell him, 'thank you' for me." Marley looked around for the tall man, but he was nowhere to be seen. Kureno was always a mystery, he was seen but hardly ever heard, and normally Akito would send him away whenever Marley came around.

"What if I spill the ink or splatter on the floor?" Marley gestured to the fact there was no protective covering on the floor around the table. The girl had already learned how hard it was to try and get stains out of the woven straw mats after a misstep while carrying a very full bowl of tomato soup.

Fun fact: One simply didn't get stains out of tatami mats.

" I'll just have it replaced."

Marley let out a sigh, Akito had grown up surrounded by wealth and power, so replacing the floor was nothing but Marley still told herself to be careful.

"Oh! Here, I brought you some treats!" Marley handed over a small blue Tupperware filled with white coconut ladoos.

Akito took it into her hands and looked in, a soft look on her face.

"You... You remembered that I liked these.." her voice went low that Marley almost didn't catch it.

"Of course, and I think I'm getting better. They're not at my Naniji's level yet, but they're coming along." Akito took one out and took a bite, savouring the subtly sweet taste.

"They're... Really good... thank you." Akito felt all warm and giddy. Her relationship with Marley was nothing like she had ever experience. She wasn't a Zodiac member, nor was she a worker of the Sohma household or immediate family member.

Marley was an outsider who honestly had nothing to gain by being by Akito's side. She knew Akito's greatest secret but never asked too much, just wanted to spend time with her.

She would never take advantage, never asked for anything, just wanted to be Akito's friend. To hang out and laugh and share interests.

Today, Akito would get to share something that she was quite good at.

Akito was flipping through a book of poetry, deciding which passages to work on while Marley messed with her phone and the speaker system, looking for a playlist to play while the two worked.

"What do you feel like?"

"Something that's not going to be distracting." Akito simply answered as she put down one book and picked up another. The head of the Sohma clan felt stuck on how best to help Marley practice her kanji.

The white-blonde finally decided to just put an easy-listening playlist on shuffle, when a familiar tune started she couldn't help smile and swayed slightly to the beat, enjoying the guitar stums and soft percussions and Marley softly sang along with Bob Marley.

_Stir it up_

_Little darling, stir it up (Come on baby)_

_Come on and stir it up little darling_

_Stir it up_

Akito let out a slight scoff, giving a look to Marley that said, 'Really?'.

"I put it on shuffle, I swear, and this is a great song." Marley laughed as she left her phone by the speaker system, joining Akito as she continued to peruse through books.

"How about I practise the Kanji of people's names! I'd like to be able to do that better. Let's start with Dadaji's name!" Marley suggested, and Akito let out a sigh and agreed while Marley put her hair up in a top bun to keep it out the way. Marley's hiragana and katakana were fine, and she knew a lot of basic everyday kanji, but there were still hundreds if not thousands of kanji that she struggled with and probably would struggle with for a long time.

But she was always willing to try and learn.

Akito showed her how to make ink using one of the two traditional inkstones she had. It was about the size of a book, it looked solid black stone with a bit of a well at one end. Akito added a tiny amount of water to the flat bit of the inkstone and ground it using a tool creating black ink and pushing the wet substance into the well of the inkstone. She repeated the process a few times and then told Marley to repeat it on the other inkstone.

One the first try Marley poured a little too quickly but got the hang of it, making sure to make small movements and take her time, following Akito's example.

This was something new as Naomi had always just given her ink, but it was kind of exciting, making it herself.

Akito handed her a traditional fude brush with a deep red lacquer and white bristles. Marley couldn't help but notice the proud look in Akito's eyes as she demonstrated how to correctly write the two kanji symbols for the Sohma family, following it with the two kanji characters for Tetsuo.

" Smoothly True; Iron Man." Akito explained the meaning behind the Sohma Elder's name. Growing up, Akito had always enjoyed calligraphy, there was something about the black ink and strokes she found... satisfying.

"Dadaji's name means Iron Man? I had no idea! I wonder if he would like Iron Man Tony Stark? I'll have to ask him later." Akito laughed at Marley's enthusiasm and gestured for her to try.

It took about a few pages of differest washi paper, but Marley finally got a hold of it, actually letting out a cheer when her kanji looked decent.

"Let's do your name next!" Marley insisted, and Akito slightly felt a blush as she tried to avoid looking at Marley's bright-eyed look.

Again, Akito painted out the Sohma name, followed by her own.

" Smoothy True, Contented Person..." Akito read out the meaning behind her name.

"It's a beautiful name." Akito let out a small sigh at Marely's compliment, the foreigner had no idea that Akito was a masculine name, then again, Akito doubted Marley would care.

"So, what does Marley mean?" Akito asked, curious if there was something else behind it.

"... I actually have no idea, I was named after Bob Marley, I doubt Mama thought what Marley actually meant." The white-blonde smiled.

Truth be told, Marley used to be slightly annoyed about her mother's choice in naming her. It was ... An odd name, at least in India and she wanted to have a name that fit in with her mother and great grandmother's name.

It wasn't until quite recently that she appreciated the name she had been given.

"Who shall we do next?" Akito asked as she smiled, her mood seemed to be light, and Marley thought... maybe... Today would be the day.

.

.

.

Kyo hopped up a tree and onto the roof tile of the outer wall, his hair still slightly damp from the quick shower he had at the Dojo. It was a bit more precarious jumping down from the top of the wall when it was dark, but Kyo had become used to this new routine.

"It's Kyo!" A cheerful voice announced as Kyo appeared in the doorway of the porch.

"Momiji? And Hatori? What are you doing here?" The orange-haired asked as he slipped off his shoes on the wooden porch before passing the three who were watching t.v to go into the kitchen.

" Marley-Chan was gonna make some pasta for dinner, we're just waiting. What are you doing here?" Momiji followed Kyo to the fridge and watched as he grabbed a milk carton labelled 'Kyo's!'.

"What's it to ya?"

"You're just mad because you wanted Marley-Chan all to yourself!" Momiji teased, and the comment made Kyo turn red and choke on the milk he was chugging.

"I-WHA-NO!" Kyo denied as milk dripped from his chin.

Before the two could continue, a loud ring distracted them, and Tetsuo shushed them as he answered the phone.

.

" Please, calm yourself. Now, what happened." His tone was low, and even the teens could tell that this was no ordinary conversation.

Kyo and Momiji both looked at each other and then watched the Tetsuo facial expression sharpen and his skin paler.

" Akito did what?! DO NOT move her, Hatori and I are coming right now." Tetsuo slammed down the phone.

"Do you have your clinical bag?" Hatori shook his head, and Tetsuo told him to go get it and meet him at the main house.

"Wait, what happened?" Momiji asked as he tried to follow, and Tetsuo was putting on his sandals.

" Momiji, stay here," Tetsuo ordered, but the boy grabbed onto the elder's sleeve.

"It's Marley... Isn't it?" Momiji asked, and Tetsuo didn't say anything, Kyo felt his heart drop into his stomach as he clenched his jaw

"Please, let me come!" The young boy asked, tears building in his eyes.

"... Both of you stay here. We'll be back when we can."

" But-"

"Momiji." Tetsuo's tone meant that he wouldn't be swayed.

Kyo grabbed Momiji's shoulder and nodded to Tetsuo, a silent conversation that he would stay with Momiji in the house.

Tetsuo and Hatori rushed across the Estate, the Sohma elder, who told the family doctor what he was told over the phone, both unsure what they were about to find.

Hatori parted ways to run to his office as Tetsuo marched his way up the path to the longest standing building on the Estate. He usually avoided it like the plague, the last time he had been here was when the former head of the house was alive.

With an aggressive pull, the main door to the main house was torn open by the Sohma Elder and the maid waiting for him to arrive slightly jumped in fright, but Tetsuo also noticed how generally distressed the young maid looked, she was shaking like a leaf and panic was in her wide eyes.

"Tetsuo-Sama... I.. I- I" She tried to put together a sentence, but Tetsuo interrupted, his patience wearing thin.

"Where is she?"

The young maid nodded and led him down the hall to a private room, other maids of the house were crowded, and all saying words of comfort but Tetsuo heard the sharp hiss of pain.

"Move."

The maids parted, and Tetsuo felt his heart stop at sight.

Marley was lying on her back on the floor, splatters of black ink on her white summer dress, her eyes covered by a wet cloth and the lower half of her face was contorted in pain, her jaw clenching as strained moans of pain left her lips.

Tetsuo got down and held Marley's hand, telling her that he was here and not soon after Hatori came rushing in.

" What happened?" He demanded, and all the maids looked nervous to answer.

"All we heard was some yelling and a crash and then when I rushed in all I saw was Marley on the ground, covering her eyes with her hands-"

"And Akito?" Tetsuo interrupted, ready to have it out with the Head of the House.

"We... We haven't seen Akito-Sama..." The maid timidly replied. Truth be told, no one had looked for the head of the house, too caught up in making sure Marley was okay.

"So, the brat is hiding.." The elder spat, wishing he could give the head of the family a piece of his mind.

" You will not speak ill of Akito-Sama!" The main's house's attendant scolded, and Tetsuo looked at her with a cold glare.

"You think I'll stand for this! Look what that entitled- temperamental brat did to my Grandaughter!"

" Please. Don't make me laugh. That mutt is not your blood -"

" Say that, again.. Watch what happens." Tetsuo's voice dropped, his eyes narrowed, and the harsh attendant made take a step back, she had gone and forgotten her place. Akito might be the head of the Sohma Clan, but Tetsuo was more of a leader then Akito had ever been.

"Please. Don't fight. It was an accident." Marley cried as Hatori helped her sit up, and he had her gently remove the wet cloth from her face. Tetsuo glared at the old woman, a look that said that this wasn't over before he went to the other side of Marley and placed a hand on her back.

The cloth was removed, and the whites of her eyes were bright red, and there were splotches of black ink, Hatori brought out his small flashlight and shined it in her eyes, asking her to try and keep her eyes open.

"How are you feeling?" Hatori asked, his eyes raking over her for any more injuries, but the eyes seemed to be the only part 'damaged,' and it seemed it was minimal. Hatori was still partly blind in one eye due to his own incident a few years ago, and he would never wish that on anyone else. Especially not Yuuto's daughter.

"I'm fine... my eyes just really sting." Marley winced as Hatori checked her eyes.

" Did you wash your eyes yet?" Hatori asked, and she nodded her head.

"Yes. Someone helped me to the sink. Everyone's been taking care of me." Marley admitted, grateful for the help she's received, and at the moment, the young maid she had spoken to when she first arrived, handed her a fresh warm cloth, and she put it over her eyes.

"Marley... Do you feel able to walk home?" Hatori asked and watched as she took a gulp, and he just knew that she was probably crying underneath that cloth and honestly, who would blame her?

".. yes, please." Marley nodded, her lips trembling slightly.

"Let's get her a fresh clothe," Hatori asked one of the maids, and she immediately nodded and ran to the side where another cloth that was sitting in warm water was waiting.

She wrung it out slightly and brought it back to Marley, who squinted slightly as she tried to see and thank the maid. Hatori placed the cloth to her eyes and told her to hold it there. Tetsuo gently reached around his granddaughter and helped her to stand, linking their elbows as he led her out of the house.

One of the maids helped Marley slip on her sandals, and the three were off, walking slowly back to their house as Tetsuo acted Marley's eyes.

She couldn't even enjoy the soft evening breeze or the night sounds of the crickets, too distracted by the stinging in her eyes and the hurt in heart, feeling of self-loathing raking through her body.

Maybe I really don't understand anything...

_"Outsider!"_

Hatori stopped in his tracks and let out a huff of air.

" I'll be right with you, I just need to check on something."

"You're going back to that brat, aren't you?" Tetsuo snarled, and Hatori stayed silent.

"Of course you are. You truly are cursed-"

"Dadaji... It's okay...Thank you for your help, Hatori." Even though Marley was in pain, she mustered up enough strength and smiled in the general direction she figured Hatori was before Tetsuo ushered her along.

Hatori felt a strange pull, he could feel the bond tearing at him. Hatori wanted to go with them, to comfort Marley and stay with her and Tetsuo. But the Dragon member felt the strong pull to his God, calling to him.

The doctor walked back into the Main house and found himself in Akito's quarters. The room was littered with pages that had kanji in black ink on them, and then a section of the room had black ink splatters on the tatami mat floor and the walls, soft music was playing, but Hatori was hardly paying attention to that.

He walked around the room and finally found the head of the household, huddled in a corner, her knees brought into her chest.

"... is she okay?" Akito asked, her dark eyes locked onto her hands.

" Marley will be fine.." But Akito didn't look relieved as she squeezed shut her eyes and covered her face with her hands.

"It was her fault..." She muttered.

"Akito..."

"She was asking all these stupid questions! She had no right! It was her fault! Her fault!" Akito screamed into her hands as she continued to curl into herself.

"She thought I should let in that monster to the zodiac! Just let him become part of the 'inside'!" Akito's body was shaking with rage, but she wasn't even really sure who she was outraged at.

"It's not her place! She's nobody! Why would she care! It's not her place!" Akito screamed and then she glanced at the room, eyeing the still turned over table and the black ink splatters on the wall and floor. The image of Marley holding her eyes in pain, her white dress stained with ink.

"I.. Oh god... she'll leave won't she!" Akito cried to Hatori, begging him to tell her it would be alright.

"It's that monster's fault! If she hadn't brought that 'thing' up, then this would have never happened! I- I-"

Hatori looked at the crying God and immediately knelt down and took her in his arms, comforting the fragile girl whose tears were falling down her cheeks and to the floor.

"I'm right here, Akito. Let it out. I'll always be here for you." The Dragon wrapped up His God, rocking her back and forth as she wailed like a child, her hands clutching to his clothes for dear life, craving the bond that she knew could never be taken from her.

.

.

.

Marley told her Dadaji what happened as they walked, well part of what happened. She mentioned that Akito got upset and flipped the table, causing the ink to accidentally spill on her and get in her eyes. She tried to joke about ruining the dress, but from his silence, she could tell the Sohma Elder was not in the mood for jokes.

" Careful, we're home, slip your shoes off. Okay, now step up." Marley heard a flurry of feet and arms wrapped around her waist for a quick moment before there was a poof.

"Momiji!" Kyo scolded, but she heard sniffling and tried to reach out to find the boy and help him, her hand moving slowly and unsurely as she tried to feel around for the rabbit.

" I'm fine, I'm fine, just a small little accident." Marley tried to insist as she finally found the tuft of soft fur she knew to be Momiji and gently lifted him up with one arm, holding him close to her heart as her Dadaji held her shoulders to walk her through the house.

"Kyo, run the tap in the kitchen, warm water." Tetsuo ordered, and Kyo barely nodded before he was in the kitchen and Marley heard the tap running.

Marley held Momiji in her arm and kept the cloth around on her eyes with her free hand, she feared that her eyes looked worse then they felt and didn't want to upset her friends more than she already had.

As she stood there, hugging and holding up Momiji in one arm, Tetsuo laid out a dark blue blanket on the floor and a pillow where Marley's head could rest. Once he was done, the grandfather tried to steer Marley down to the floor so she could rest, Momiji had to hop down to the floor and continued bouncing around, he wasn't sure how he could help, but he wanted to be there.

"Okay, kneel down. Let's lay back for a bit." Marley was helped to the floor and Marley tentatively laid down as Tetsuo helped her head to the pillow.

She could feel Momiji sniffling and cuddling into her chest, and she ran her hand up and down his small form, trying to tell him she was fine.

Kyo had taken incitive and had grabbed a new cloth and ran it under the water before squeezing it and handing it off to Tetsuo, who replaced the old cloth with the new.

"How does it feel?" Tetsuo asked as he patted his granddaughter's hair, trying to comfort her.

"The warm cloth feels nice, thank you."

"Do you need anything else?"

"... Um... I don't think I'll be able to cook dinner tonight... Sorry." She apologized, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Silly child..."

"Are you hungry, Marley-Chan?" Momiji asked as he laid his paws on her hand.

" Maybe a little..." She actually wasn't, but she thought maybe some good food would help, and she wanted her family to at least eat something.

"I'll order from that place you like, is the menu still by the phone?" Tetsuo asked, and Marley explained it was in the drawer by the phone.

Marley felt the ground around her creak, like someone moving or sitting down, and she moved her hand around, her hand brushing against the tatami mat till she came to a warm hand, it was a little bigger than hers, their fingers slightly calloused but gentle still.

_Kyo._

"Momiji... do you mind picking out something for me to wear?" Marley asked, wanting to get out of the stained white dress.

"I'm on it!" Marley heard Momiji hop away and up the stairs. She listened to her grandfather on the phone in the hallway, ordering various dishes from the only Indian restaurant that Marley liked in the whole city, slightly butchering the names of dishes as he spoke on the phone.

Marley squeezed Kyo's hand, and her fingers lightly brushed against his bracelet.

" What the hell happened?" Kyo asked as he looked down at Marley's form, her eyes were covered, but it was unsettling. Seeing all the ink splatters on her dress and even some in her hair, staining the white dress and her white-blonde tresses, her body slightly shaking from whatever had got done. It wasn't... It wasn't right. He hated it.

"... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kyo..."

"Wh-what are you talking about," Kyo asked, confused as to why she would be apologizing to him.

"I.. I tried asking Akito if.." She clenched her jaw, trying to calm herself down, even she could feel her accent coming through, and she wanted Kyo to at least understand her apology. Marley had failed, and she wasn't sure if she would get the chance to ask again. Marley had made Akito mad enough to lash out, Marley had pushed her on a subject that she didn't understand. And now... not only had she upset Akito, but she had also let Kyo down.

"If... if the Cat could be included." Marley choked out.

"If you could be part of the Zodiac."

" Why would you do something like that?" Kyo snapped, a feeling of dread that he might be the cause behind Marley's pain.

"Because I think you deserve... you deserve to be part of this family. I don't want you to be on the 'outside.'"

" And... I thought... I thought that just maybe I could... Help in someway but... I'm so sorry I wasn't able to help... I'm so pathetic." She cried, filled with regret, wishing she had better words. Wishing she was a more reliable person. Desiring to do something good in this world. Marley felt like she was just a waste of space at this point.

"Hey... Hey, stop... this isn't your problem." Kyo

" But -"

" Look what happened to you! Don't- Why would you do this for me?!" Kyo demanded, he had no idea what happened at the main house, but he knew for damn sure he didn't want Marley going anywhere near it again.

" Because I want.. I want you to be able to join the banquet."

Kyo took her delicate hand in his, completely encasing it, kneeling over her and bringing it his forehead, as if he was saying a prayer. He wanted to yell and break things. The temperamental boy wanted to blow up. But that wouldn't help Marley. So he took and deep breath.

_Would you fight so hard for me... if you knew what I did?_

" Please... you can't- this isn't your problem. You shouldn't have-"

" I wanted to help- You help me so much and- I wanted to at least try and help you. We—we said we would go through life together." Marley sniffled as she remembered that night in the rain when she was clutching to Kyo for dear life, begging him to let her in.

"Alright..." Kyo softy said as he stared down at her, how could he forget the words they shared on that night.

_._

_" I want to learn more about you, your fears, the things you love, the things you hate, your martial arts training, your favourite foods... anything... everything. I want to spend time with you... I want to eat together, drink tea together, watch movies or the stars, anything. As long as you let me stay by your side! Because...I want to be with you!" Marley cried, letting her feelings out in the open for him to see._

_"Just, please! Please! Let's go through life together!" Marley yelled, hoping that her words could reach him. Praying that he wouldn't push her away._

.

" Can I see..." Kyo asked as he lightly touched the edge of the cloth.

"..." He could see Marley slightly biting on the inside of her cheek.

"Let me see." Kyo didn't even wait any longer and lifted the cloth from her face and Marley used her free hand to cover her eyes.

"Move your hand." The boy asked Marley and she became nervous, what if it looked really bad?

"Just..."

" What?"

"... It probably looks a lot worse than it feels... and it was an accident..." She sniffled, hoping that her eyes didn't look too scary and that he didn't get mad at Akito over this.

"Whatever. Now let me see."

Marley took a breath and finally removed her hand, the area around her eyes was red, and she was squinting against the light when she finally opened her eyes and chose to stare up at the ceiling.

They were bright red from irritation, streams of tears were falling from edges of her eyes and flowing down to her hairline.

" I must look terrible..." she didn't even look at Kyo, just kept staring at the ceiling, trying to distract herself by thinking if the ceiling had always been that light sage colour.

"I've seen worse." Kyo used the cloth to try and wipe away the tears, Kyo helped her sit up properly, and he gave her some room, sitting back casually.

" I've got a plan," Kyo told her, and she slightly tilted her head, the messy bun sitting on her head tilted as well, it would have been comical if not for the situation.

"A plan?"

"Yeah, Akito and me have a deal. Once I do it. I'm in." The boy revealed, a confident smirk on his face and Marley seemed to spring forward, she was on her hands and knees and looking up at Kyo, she was practically in the space between Kyo's legs, and he nearly fell back as he felt his heart race.

"Really?!"

"Yeah. And I'm gonna do it. No problem. So no more worrying about me and getting in the Zodiac." He told her, saying a silent prayer that she would drop it and never ask Akito anything like that ever again.

" but-" Kyo playfully grabbed her nose. Stopping her sentence.

" Trust me. I got this." Kyo assured, his saffron eyes gazing into hers.

" Okay." She said, her voice comically nasally, and Kyo let her go, laughing at the funny voice she had used.

" Can you tell me what the deal is?" Marley asked, slightly sitting back and rubbing her nose, it hadn't hurt, it was just a bit of strange sensation.

"... Then shall we make a bet out of it?" Cold dark eyes were taunting him, a slight smirk to Akito's face.

" I'll tell once I win." Kyo puffed out his chest, confident that despite the teasing look in his God's eyes, he would prove Akito wrong.

"Then, I'll be right here, cheering you on." A smile that lit up the room appeared on Marley's face, filled with a new hope and a faith in Kyo that he could do anything he put his mind to. It was one of the things Marley admired about the boy, stubbornly determined in the best of ways.

Kyo let out a small sigh and brought his hand to touch a lock of hair that had fallen out of her bun.

_I won't let you down_

"Promise you won't ask again?" Kyo wanted to really make sure because he couldn't handle knowing that Marley had put herself in God's wrath for him.

"..."

" I'm not kidding here, you gotta promise." He tried to use his most intimidating look, and Marley held a hand over her heart.

" Alright, I promise." She pledged, and Kyo let out a small sigh of relief, feeling confident that he wouldn't have to worry about her too much.

"Sorry to interrupt." A stoic voice cut through, causing Kyo to nearly jump out of his skin.

"Hatori." Kyo let out a scoff, glaring at the doctor who simply ignored him and held out something to Marley, her phone that she had left behind at the main house.

" Thank you... Dadaji's ordering food if you would like to stay." Marley offered, and Hatori shook his head.

" I need to get back to Akito, but thank you. I just wanted to give that back and check in on you. Here are some drops for your eyes, put them in after you wash your face." The Doctor ordered as he reached into his bag and handed her a small bottle.

Kyo watched as Marley gripped the phone a little tighter at the mention of the head of the family.

" How about you just leave already." The words were spat from Kyo's mouth, his orange eyes blazing with an angry rage.

Typically, Marley would have probably said something to try and help the atmosphere, but she was exhausted, her mind was still spinning, and her eyes stung.

"... I'll check on you tomorrow then." Hatori bowed his head and walked out of the house, Marley felt a small twinge of abandonment.

The doctor had been by her side through so much, but she was able to see that, between herself and Akito. Akito was clearly the more important one, while Marley was...

_" You're an outsider! You have no right! You don't know anything!"_

"Marley-Chan. Here." Momiji had returned, now in human form and carrying clothes for her to change into.

Truthfully Marley could have easily gone upstairs and grabbed clothes herself, but she had needed a moment with Kyo, and she wanted to give Momiji something to do. She felt a little guilty, but as she thanked him for helping her, he gave her a small smile.

"I'm just gonna change.." Marley took the clothes and walked to the downstairs washroom, slipping off her now stained white dress. Looking in the mirror, she noticed there were a few ink spots on her skin.

The young woman took a small towel and ran it under the tap before rubbing it against the spot on her arm, trying to clean off the dry black ink.

It was stubborn, the stain on her skin, so she had to rub harder and harder, making her brown skin turn pink against all the friction.

Her eyes started stinging again as she relived the moment.

_._

_Marley and Akito had gone through everyone in the Zodiac, she had learned how to write their names in kanji as well as learn their meanings._

_It was mostly light conversation, joking around and Akito teasing Marley over her slightly heavy hand when it came to brush strokes._

_It was when the final name come up, did Marley bring up what she had truly wanted to ask. She just needed to find a way to bring it up._

_" Akito, it really must be wonderful having all the Zodiac around, all 13. I was speaking with Dadaji, and apparently, it's the first time it's happened since the beginning." Marley enthused. She also thought of the grandmother she had never met, who grew up practically alone in the Zodiac._

_Her Dadaji told Marley how excited his late wife had been when Zodiac members started to be born, Natsuki Sohma had kept saying that something big was happening. Had she known that all the Zodiacs would come together for a full banquet, who knows? But even Marley could tell that something big was happening._

_"Everyone was waiting for me...I was born to be loved by everyone." Akito mused, a smile on her lips as she uttered the words._

_Right then and there, Marley felt the air shift, as it always did when Akito's role as 'God' came up. Marley was skeptical when it came to who 'God' was in the Zodiac. Marley had been acquainted with many different Gods and deities in her past. She knew of the many deities that Hindu's looked up to and prayed to, surrounded by their images as she grew up and learning their stories. Marley grew up going to the gurdwara and praying with her great grandmother, meditating in the name of one creator, a belief in divine unity, equality of all humankind. Even when her family moved to America, her Mama and she would attend temple and volunteer in the langar, the community kitchen._

_Marley couldn't say whether she really believed in one 'God' or the other, but she loved the ideas and teachings she was shown and if there was 'God,' wouldn't they want prosperity for all, wouldn't 'God' welcome all who wished for a place to go._

_".. yes well. It must mean something special, having everyone together."_

_"Wouldn't it be wonderful, after all this time... Maybe it's time for Cat to be part of the Zodiac." Marley tried to put out there as casual as she could, hoping that Akito would be open to the idea._

_The air... it became so thick, but Marley kept her gaze on Akito, holding her ground._

_Akito's eyes became dark, the smile that had been there moments before... gone. Like it had never been there._

_And then... she started laughing. It wasn't a light laugh or a jovial one... it was..._

_Unsettling._

_"Hahahahaahah You... you are so funny! That was a good one! The Cat! Becoming part of the Zodiac! Ahahahahaahaha." Akito had tears practically coming out her eyes. She was laughing so hard._

_"I wasn't kidding." Marley simply stated, her large amethyst eyes locked onto Akito, a twisted feeling building up in her chest as she watched her friend laugh over the idea of Kyo becoming part of the 'inside.'_

_This... this side of Akito, she had maybe caught glimpses before, but this felt... Different. Marley's skin had goosebumps, and even though it was so warm out... the room felt ice cold._

_Akito rose to her feet and stared down at Marley on the floor, now glaring at her rather than laughing, as if daring Marley to speak out again._

_" You... think I would let that 'monster' join?" Akito scoffed and this made Marley jump to her feet, standing tall as she was ready to defend her friend._

_"Do not call him that." Marley objected to Akito's term for Kyo, her heart was beating fast, and she found herself slightly intimidated by Akito at this moment. Still, Marley was not one to back down, determination behind her large eyes._

_"You've seen it, and you still defend him." Akito smirked, but Marley pushed forward, she didn't even want to address the fact that Akito referring to Kyo as an 'It.', completely disappointed in how Akito was being._

_"Kyo should be part of the banquet." Marley pressed on._

_"... you really aren't kidding..." Akito growled, she felt like a coil was tightening and ice entered her veins, Akito was clenching her fists, her long nails digging into her palms._

_" Kyo should be allowed to come 'inside.' He should be allowed to go where ever he pleases."_

_" Shut up! You don't understand! You're not one of us, you don't get it!" Akito screamed at her, but Marley pushed on._

_" You are 'God'! Right? Then can't you do what you want? Why wouldn't you want to include Kyo?" Marley never imagined that this would be what she would be met with when it came to this conversation. She honestly had faith that Akito would simply see how...unfair it was to keep Kyo out, but... Akito didn't even seem to see Kyo as a person._

_"Shut up..." Akito hissed._

_" Don't you think it's time! Wouldn't it be wonderful to truly have all the members together? The banquet would be better with the Cat. It's wrong to exclude Kyo over some ancient tradition." Marley thought of Kyo, who wanted to be included, how it was only right. It wasn't that Marley was against tradition in general, but she only knew that some were meant to be broken, especially when that 'tradition' included alienating someone._

_"Stop.." Akito's teeth were practically barred at the white-blonde, but she wouldn't shut her mouth. Marley wanted to do this, and she was as stubborn as the day was long._

_" Kyo is a part of this family! He is a part of the Zodi-"_

_" You're an outsider! You have no right! You don't know anything! WE have a bond!" Akito screamed at Marley, not believing how the girl who came from nothing would dare fight her on this._

_" Then explain to me! If there is a 'Bond,' then why can't the Cat be part of the Zodiac. Wouldn't the Cat be included in that bond?!" It just didn't make sense to Marley._

_"Because that's the way it is!"_

_"I don't accept that and neither should you! Just because 'that's the way it is' means that you should just let it happen. You know that you can change it-"_

_"Enough!" Akito yelled, covering her ears, but Marley didn't want the powerful figure to ignore her or shut her out. Marley wanted Kyo, who even among the Sohma's was so special to her, Marley wanted him to be able to walk through those doors. A full-fledged member of this family. And Akito was supposedly the only one who could make that happen._

_Marley could at least do this._

_"Akito! Please! You can change-"_

_"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Akito grabbed the small table and flipped it to the ground in her rage, causing papers to fly, and the inkstones that were full of wet, black ink flew across the room towards Marley. The black ink splashing the floor, the wall, Marley's dress and her face._

_Marley let out a shriek at the sharp pain, and her hands flew to her eye as she stumbled backwards._

.

After that it was all a blur, Marley remembered people coming in, being helped to a sink or something and washing her eyes and then being fussed over by a few of the maids of the house.

She took a large breath, trying to get a hold of herself.

The girl washed her face, splashing it with water and patting her face dry as she stared into her flection.

Her vision still felt a little blurry, the black ink in her eyes was gone, but her eyes were still bright red from the irritation.

Slipping on the loose grey sweats pants and bright yellow sweatshirt Momiji had grabbed for her. Already she was starting to feel better, a warm feeling in her chest over the care she was given from her friends and family.

Checking her reflection, she noticed the small bits of ink in her hair, under the bathroom counter, she found a brush and some coconut oil. Marley freed her hair of the messy bun and tried fixing what she could, brushing it out and placing a little dab oil in her hand, warming it in her palm before spreading it to where it was needed.

Pulling her hair up into a high, slicked-back ponytail, she would just wash out her hair in the morning, hoping the ink stains wouldn't be too much of an issue.

She grabbed the drops Hatori had given her and tilted her head back, and squeezed the small bottle above her eyes.

_Okay... it's all gonna.. Be fine..._

Today, Marley had been reminded of how different Akito's world was to Marley's. She was genuinely trying to understand, but... right now, she wasn't sure she wanted to understand.

Marley... She was a surprise, to say the least, her mother had her when she was only 16 and her birth father left before she was even born. She was a mistake; though no one who truly mattered called her that, she still heard those words growing up. Marley did not come from riches or a prestigious family. She wasn't born with a 'bond' that spanned centuries.

Marley was lucky to even be born while Akito was born 'lucky.'

_"Everyone was waiting for me...I was born to be loved by everyone."_

Akito was born a 'God,' constantly told that she was born for greatness, given whatever she pleased and acted; however she wanted. A mythical spell connecting her to 13 members who would serve and love her no matter what.

But what was the 'bond' that Akito spoke of? And was it really as beautiful as she seemed to boast?

If Akito was born to loved no matter what and be surrounded by the Zodiac members, she was bonded to... then why did she seem so lonely and lost the first time they had met.

Maybe Marley really never understood Akito at all...

She looked to her phone, noticing that it was paused on the music playlist that had been playing in Akito's quarters. A small part wondered of her wondered if it was her Mama reaching out, trying to cheer her on. Marley pressed play and let the song play, using it to calm herself down.

_Don't worry about a thing_

_'Cause every little thing gonna be alright_

_Singing' don't worry about a thing_

_'Cause every little thing gonna be alright_

Marley didn't know what Kyo's deal with Akito was, but she believed in him and would cheer him on in any way that she should.

_It's... gonna be alright...right?_

.

Marley shook her head and took one last deep breath before leaving the bathroom and walking back into the living room where Kyo and Momiji were waiting. Marley approached and lightly patted Momiji's hair before rubbing his back, promising him she was okay.

"Can... Can I hug you." Momiji asked, tears forming in his eyes once more. He had been terrified, everything seemed to be moving so fast, and he had through the worst when Tetsuo and Hatori had nearly stormed out of the house to get the girl he had come to cherish.

Marley didn't give a verbal answer, she simple leaned down and wrapped her arms around the young Momiji who instantly threw his arms around, his fingers grasping onto the soft shirt.

The embrace lasted only a second before Momiji transformed, but even in his Zodiac form, Marley cradled him to her chest, swaying lightly as she tried to comfort him.

"Food should be here in about an hour." Tetsuo walked in was relieved to see the scene. He usually wouldn't be thrilled about Momiji being all cuddly with Marley, but he would allow this. He was just happy to see his granddaughter up and even sporting a small smile.

" Do... do you wanna watch a movie or something?" Kyo asked, and an idea popped into her head, and she looked at her Dadaji.

" Can we watch 'Iron Man'?!" Marley asked as she remembered the meaning behind her grandfather's name.

"Why are you looking at me when you ask that?" Tetsuo asked as he raised a brow, wondering what was going through the girl.

"Because today during my kanji practice, I learned that 'Tetsuo' means 'Iron Man.' " Marley explained, and the old man rolled his eyes but let out a surprising laugh, he never expected to be compared to an American comic book hero.

" Put on whatever you like, I'll make some tea."

"Are you sure? I can at least make the tea, or lend a hand?" Marley asked and was already trying to follow her grandfather into the kitchen, but a hand took hold of her elbow.

"Would you just sit down already, we'll take care of it." Kyo 'scolded' but Marley tried to insist she would help but Kyo kept her there.

"Yeah Marley-Chan, you're the princess! We'll do everything." Momiji cheered as he crawled to her shoulder and gave her little rabbit kisses to her cheek. It was hard to argue with that.

Marley picked up the remote and turned on the T.V, slightly squinting as tried to change the source and find the search bar.

" Are your eyes still hurting?"

"Huh, oh no they feel okay, I guess I washed out my contacts..." Marley admitted as she continued to struggle typing in 'Iron Man' in the search bar on the T.V.

"... so you can't even see the damn TV."

" Yes, I can... I just can't see what's on it.." Marley had just been told she wasn't allowed to help make tea, she doubted they would let her go upstairs to grab her glasses and didn't want to bother anyone. Kyo seemed to read her mind and jumped to his feet.

" I'm gonna grab your damn glasses so you can watch the damn movie, and then I'm gonna sit there and make sure you don't lift a damn finger the rest of the night," Kyo said it like a threat and Marley tried not to laugh, somehow finding his attitude endearing.

And Kyo did just as he threatened to do.

He had gone up into Marley's room, grabbed her glasses, a small blush on his face when he handed them off to her and Marley remembered she had left her bra's on a drying rack in her room and had to stifle a giggle over his red ears.

After that, he sat himself down on the floor beside Marley while Momiji was still nestled in her arms.

Marley, now with glasses, was able to correctly type in what she wanted and settled in, kind of excited to watch a superhero movie with her friends.

" It's funny, I think a small part of me is now going to imagine Dadaji in an Iron Man suit whenever I write his name out." Marley joked as she fidgeted with the settings and put on the Japanese subtitles.

"Oh! Marley-Chan, did you learn what my name meant?" Momiji asked, his ears popping straight up.

"Maple Tree! Right?" Marley explained proudly before the rabbit happily nuzzled his face into Marley's.

Kyo finally groaned and grabbed Momiji by his scruff, he had enough of watching the affectionate rabbit rub himself all over the girl.

"At least change back before the food gets here." Kyo pointed out, and Momiji pouted before hopping off, dragging his clothes by his little mouth into the hallway so he could change in privacy.

Kyo was sitting a little far from her, his black t-shirt clad back to her as he faced the T.V. Marley smiled and reached out, using her finger to make a pattern in his back.

The boy slightly jumped a bit at the sudden contact but calmed down when he realized who it was.

"The hell are you doing back there?" He asked, slightly peering over his shoulder, and their eyes met.

" I learned the kanji for your name as well," Marley mentioned, her voice soft.

"Yeah, and?" He scoffed, ready for her to make fun of him.

"Apricot..."

Kyo groaned, and his shoulders sagged a bit, but Marley just continued to make patterns in his back.

" I love apricots," Marley said as she traced the kanji once more, and Kyo's face slightly flushed, but he didn't look away.

" You..do?"

"Your mother gave you a wonderful name." Marley complimented.

"... I imagine she really didn't give it much thought..." Kyo scoffed, his orange hair slightly falling into his eye-line, his tresses had something in common with the apricot he was named after.

"... your name... your mother gave you a nice name too..." Kyo softly mumbled.

"Thank you." Marley softly uttered as a small blush appeared on her cheeks.

"It's still weird, though." Marley only laughed at Kyo's comment, she knew he didn't mean anything bad by it, the orange-haired boy was just awkward when it came to giving compliments, she had seen it time and time again.

.

.

.

When the food arrived, they paused the movie and Marley took joy in showing Kyo how to properly eat Indian food without using utensils. Showing him the roti was what he was supposed to use to scoop up the various curry dishes her Dadaji had ordered.

It was a regular place that knew precisely how Marley enjoyed her dishes, including which dishes to make extra spicy and which ones were to remain mild.

There was an array of curries and pakoras, chutneys, achar and the restaurant even through in some gulab jamon. The dessert was far too sweet for Kyo, but Marley and Momiji enjoyed the syrupy sweet ball.

The Sohma Elder and the Cat of the Zodiac even entered a contest of 'who could handle the spiciest dish of the table,' which was Marley's extra hot Malai Kofta. Marley tried to warn them, but once the Cat challenged the old man, Tetsuo found it hard to back down, and both ended up wishing they didn't have tongues after they each had scoopful.

Marley tried not to laugh at their pain and bright red faces as she served them yogurt, but a few giggles broke through.

After they finished 'Iron Man' it led another superhero movie until it was past midnight, and Momiji had fallen asleep on Marley's lap. Marley had fallen asleep on Kyo's shoulder.

Kyo at first had only been sitting so close due to Marley continuously trying to get up and help with dishes or grab something for someone, and Kyo kept making sure she just sat down and rest until the two were sitting, shoulder to shoulder.

"...I'm glad you were here.." Tetsuo admitted as he looked at the serene look on Marley's face as she rested against Kyo's shoulder. It was as if earlier events had never taken place.

"Huh?"

" She's comfortable with you." Maybe it was the long day, but Tetsuo seemed softer than Kyo was used to seeing.

"... she's comfortable with everyone.." Kyo scoffed, doubting he was really anything special in the girl's eyes.

" Your still young. Maybe you'll understand soon."

"Hah?

Tetsuo merely got up and walked over, moved Momiji's head to the floor and with a strength that Kyo had no idea the old man had, Tetsuo Sohma squatted down, lifted the teenage girl into his arms and carried her as if she weighed nothing.

" Carry Momiji to the guest room down the hall." Tetsuo simply ordered, and Kyo was about to protest but felt that waking up the finally quiet, energetic boy would be a mistake. The orange-haired boy quietly grumbled as he picked up the small boy and found a guest room and placed Momiji down, lazily throwing the blanket over him.

Tetsuo closed the door to Marley's room and then mentioned to Kyo that he was also welcome to spend the night, he would set up the futon.

" No, I gotta get going." Kyo walked to the porch and slid on his shoes.

" So you and Akito have made some sort of deal?" Tetsuo asked, and Kyo realized he must have been listening when Marley and him were talking.

" I don't wanna talk about it." Kyo simply put, silently praying the elder would drop it. No one but the Cat and God knew of the details of their deal, not even Kazuma knew. Marley is the first person he's even told about the deal.

" You think Akito is the type to make a deal lightly?" Tetsuo warned Kyo as he took out his cigarette and lit up on the porch.

"... what over choice do I have?" Kyo scoffed, but there was no real venom behind it, Kyo was just tired.

Tetsuo decided to drop the subject and told the burdened teen goodnight. Kyo walked through the garden he heard a sliding sound and looked up to the second floor of the house, where Marley was sticking her head out.

"Text me when you get home." She softly called, leaning out the window slightly.

"Yeah yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck, still awkward about someone just worried about his wellbeing.

" Good night Kyo." Marley sleepily waved to him from the window, and he felt his chest warm a bit. Of course, she would try and wake her self if only to say goodnight and wish him off.

" Goodnight... Marley." Her name slipping from his mouth, his eyes softening as her name left his lips. She waited til he was safely over the wall before cuddling back into her bed.

As Kyo walked back to Shigure's house, his mind wandered to what the future could hold for him, the warm feeling of hope in his chest blooming brighter and brighter with each day.

Someone was waiting for him, cheering him on. Kyo wasn't going to let that go to waste.

.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> Mandalas: Sanskrit for "circle" or "discoid object," is a geometric design that holds a great deal of symbolism in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. Creating them is connected with mediation and healing among other traditions.
> 
> Rangolis: an art form where patters on created on the floor using dry materials such as powers, rice, flowers for various festivals.
> 
> Shoudo: a form of calligraphy, or artistic writing, of the Japanese language.
> 
> Sikhism: Indian monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century.
> 
> Gurdwara: is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as Gurdwara Sahib. People from all faiths are welcomed in Sikh gurdwaras.
> 
> Langar: term used in Sikhism for the community kitchen in a Gurdwara where a free meal is served to all the visitors
> 
> Gulab jamon: is a milk-solid-based sweet from the Indian subcontinent, popular in India, Nepal, Pakistan. The fried balls are then soaked in a light sugar syrup flavored with green cardamom and rose water, kewra or saffron.There are various types of gulab jamun and every variety has a distinct taste and appearance.
> 
> Achar: various pickled vegetables.
> 
> Malai Kofta: a popular Indian vegetarian dish made of potato & paneer balls dunked in smooth, rich & creamy gravy, can be made super spicy ( at least in my family XD)
> 
> Songs:
> 
> Stir It Up –Bob Marley and the Wailers
> 
> Three Little Birds – Bob Marley and the Wailers
> 
> * Concerning Kyo's name meaning: I tried so hard to find his Kanji and I could not, there was a similar kanji that is pronounced 'Kyo' and means Apricot so please forgive me for not finding the actual meaning, in this story his name means apricot, I thought it would be cute. again... please forgive me and feel free to correct me.
> 
> Hello!
> 
> Peachie here, hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy and keeping safe.
> 
> Man, I already miss going to temple since this quarantine, so I hope you don't mind me slipping in a few bits of Sikhism in this one XD
> 
> If you are enjoying 'Stir It Up' then don't forget to leave a comment, it really does make me smile to know that someone out there is enjoying what I'm putting out there.
> 
> I'm running low on motivation due to being stuck inside, isolation is starting to get to me but I'll try to continue writing.
> 
> Wishing everyone good health <3


	4. Come On, Baby

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

The warm glow of the morning sun shined down on the Sohm Estate, but not everyone was enjoying its beauty. Some chose to hide from the sun's light, hidden away in their castle. The large room felt vacant like no life was there,

" Akito..." An auburn-haired man kneeled down on the floor where a small figure was lounging, her head resting on her arms.

"What do you want?" She asked without bothering to lift her head.

"You should eat something. I can have the kitchen-" Kureno couldn't get out a sentence before an agitated voice cut him off.

"I'm tired..."

" Here, just some water." Kureno insisted as he poured some cold water from a jug into a small glass.

" I. Said. I'm. Tired." Akito's dark eyes glared at her personal assistant. Kureno just let out a small sigh and placed the glass on the table. He bowed his head, excusing himself before leaving the room.

The moment Kureno stepped into the hall and slid the door closed behind him, he was approached by the head maid of the main house, her eyes narrowed on him.

"Still nothing?"

"I'm afraid not." Kureno felt like he should be apologizing, but he wasn't sure for what.

"Been like this all week. We'll just have to wait it out and make sure we are here for Akito-Sama's needs. At least you're by Akito-Sama's side, unlike the other Zodiac members." The head maid told scoffed before walking away to attend to some duties, a younger maid with short brown hair following behind.

Kureno sighed and looked out the window, noting how blue the sky looked, a few perfect fluffy white clouds in the distance.

_Perfect for flying... far, far away._

A bright laugh brought him down to earth, and he noticed a flash of long white-blonde hair. Marley was walking along with Momiji, they seemed to be holding hands as the rabbit excitedly told her something and she smiled and bobbed along.

Hatsuharu was walking a bit behind them, his shoulders sagged a bit like a cloud was hanging over him. Marley would look behind her once in a while as if to make sure he was still there. The teens were all donning their school uniforms, to it was safe to say they were on the way to school. It looks like the high school kids were choosing to walk in the beautiful sunshine rather than take a chauffeur.

The Rooster of the Zodiac thought he might have an idea to help out Akito.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

.

Slipping on the old swimsuit was a lot more stressful than it should have been. With everything going on, she had almost forgotten about her class's day this week to spend at the school pool and rushed this morning to grab a swimsuit from her wardrobe.

The cute ruby red one-piece was a little tight since Marley's body had become a lot curvier in the last two years, her breasts looked like they were trying to make a getaway attempt.

It was times like these that Marley felt reminded how different she was to her female classmates, they were all small and petite. Marley was not considered all that tall back in America, maybe slightly taller than average, but here she towered over the girls and even some boys.

In her heart, she knew it didn't matter, but it left her feeling a little self-conscious now and then.

But that wasn't the only thing she was struggling with, Marley looked in the mirror at the surgery scar, a decently clean line in the middle of her chest, the scar was almost white against her brown skin.

Taking a deep breath in and out, Marley grabbed her gym T-shirt and threw it over, tying it into a fitted crop top. Marley fixed her hair in the mirror, taking a small purple scarf and tied it into a headband to keep hair out of her face. Marley did one last turn around in the mirror.

_But my butt is looking kinda cute_

The girl giggled at herself before finally walking out of the pool area, slightly squinting due to the bright rays of the sun.

_I wished I had brought my sunglasses... oh well._

Once her eyes adjusted, she looked around the pool area, everyone was enjoying the pool, most of the girls were swimming, and others were just hanging out on the benches. Marley found Uo hanging out by the side of the school pool, looking like she was relaxing in a tub.

The spunky girl must have heard her footsteps cause she looked up and took her in from head to toe, smirking a little as she did so.

"Marley-Chan! Look at that ass, girl, where have you been hiding that." Uo teased

"From my Mama," Marley winked, and for that, Uo splashed a little water up at her. Marley only laughed and sat herself down on the ledge. She chose not to go swimming, just happy to dip her legs in and relax.

"Ahhh, this. This is what summer is all about! Yep, in summer, you gotta go to a pool." Uo, let out a relaxing sigh as she leaned back on the edge of the pool.

"This is paradise.." Uo moaned, making herself comfortable.

"Your acting like you're at home in a bubble bath." Marley giggled as she reclined back and enjoyed the sun's hot rays.

.

Not too far away from the blonde-haired girls were the members of the Prince Yuki Fanclub, gossiping.

"Don't they normally play hooky?"

"It's weird that such an old-fashioned delinquent like her exists in our class." Prince Yuki Club member scoffed as her, and her friend eyed the girls from their spot in the pool.

"Foreigners are always so slutty. What is she doing in such in something so skimpy." Her fellow club member scolded, glaring at the girl who was enjoying the sun's hot rays. Poor Marley was hardly wearing anything too different from the girls around her, she just filled it out differently.

" Why do they have to foul the school pool? You -" The two girls stopped their gossiping as swirls of black hair seem to float, and dark eyes stared up at them from the water-line.

The girls felt their blood run cold, and they swam Olympic level speeds to get away from the mysterious girl. The other students in the pool marvelling over their speed as they swam away.

"Hey, did you find your hair tie?" Uo asked as Hana approached the girls as she swam through the cold water.

"No... It must have floated away...This is a shame. The pool is no fun when my hair is like seaweed..." Hanajima lamented, looking woefully at her long black hair.

"Sorry, I can't help, all I have is my headband, but I can give it to you if you want?" It was more a small scarf then an actual headband and more decorative than functional.

" I would hate to ruin it, but I appreciate the gesture." Hana shook her head and stopped Marley from untying her scarf.

"You're really not gonna hop in?" Uo asked as she looked up at Marley, who was happily soaking in the sun's rays and just lazily kicking her legs back and forth in the pool.

"No, I really don't like all the chlorine," Marley admitted, she found it dried out her skin and hair, Marley would wait til a beach or lake trip to go swimming.

"Hana-Chan!" The girls heard a cheery voice, and all three looked to a triumphant Tohru returning with a hair tie in her hand. She was sporting a cute dark blue one-piece.

"I had one! A spare hair tie!" She announced as she came over and handed it to the dark-haired physic.

"Oh, I didn't know you were looking for me. I'm touched Tohru-Kun..."

"No Problem!" Tohru insisted, a bright smile on her face.

Uo was looking up at Tohru, a stricken look on her face and Marley even asked if something was wrong, which resulted in the fierce blonde breaking down and letting out a wailing cry.

"Uo-Chan!" Tohru cried out as she knelt down to see what was wrong. Everyone was looking over as the girls tried to help Uo, who continued crying, pounding her fists on the cement.

.

Uo finally calmed down enough to tell the girls what was ailing her.

"Oh! So that's a school swimsuit?" Marley had been curious about Tohru's swimsuit. It had her name written on the front, and Marley had found it a little... different.

"Yeah, they were mandatory in middle school, but now we get to wear whatever," Uo explained, her eyes still slightly red from her outburst earlier.

"I'm impressed she's able to have the same swimsuit for so long, ever since I got hit with puberty I've had to get a new swimsuit every year..." Marley subconsciously touched her chest, disappointed that she would have to say goodbye to another swimsuit.

"But your school swimsuit looks super cute on you, Tohru." Marley complimented, and Tohru blushed and thanked her.

"Yes, she does look very adorable in it." Hana popped in as she wrapped her arms around her dear friend.

"I'm not saying she doesn't look cute or that it's embarrassing over anything. It's just..." Uo started on this vast ramble about some elderly people she saw at her part-time job, and Marley felt lost as to what this had to do with anything.

"Arisa is easily moved to tears..."

"... yes, but what does an old man shopping at her convenience store for dinner have to do with Tohru wearing her middle school swimsuit?" Marley asked, but before anyone could help her understand, Uo bounced back and looked at the three girls with a giant grin.

"I know! I've got a great idea!"

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

"We're going shopping for Tohru's swimsuit! It's going to be a 'present from everyone.' So all you guys pay up." Uo proclaimed as she stood in the living room of Shigure's home, the inhabitants all looking up at her from the floor.

"Huh?"

"Where do you guys get off decided how everybody spends their money? And on a.. on a- a swimsuit," Kyo struggled to get out the words, feeling like an old pervert for even saying the word.

" Tohru is always cleaning up after you guys, right? You need to show your appreciation for her once in a while." Uo pointed out while Shigure grinned in the corner.

"A swimsuit... Nice... I like the way it sounds. God bless summer." The novelist cheered as he pictured young women in scandalous swimsuits running around the beach, their cute laughs filling the air.

"See? The scribbler is into it."

"Leave the pervert outta this!" Kyo shouted at the girl.

"Listen. I think the idea of getting her a present is fine... but why a swimsuit?" Yuki asked, a small blush present on his cheeks.

"Oh, I guess you guys don't know...Tohru-Kun is still wearing her school swimsuit from middle school..." Hana revealed, and at that Shigure spat out the tea, he was just drinking, spraying it all over the table.

"THAT'S DISGUSTING SHIGURE!" Kyo hissed as he jumped away, making sure none of it had sprayed onto him.

"What are you doing?"

"Sorry... I kept you waiting-"

"Tohru-Kun! Go shopping! Let's get you a decent one!" Shigure practically begged the young brunette who looked a little lost.

"Okay?"

"He has a soft spot for Tohru-Kun, too, huh?" Uo grinned as she watched the scene.

" Huh, what do you need such a big bag for? Your just goin' shopping." Kyo looked at the backpack Tohru was carrying along with a purse. Now that he was looking, all the girls seemed to have a large bag with them.

"Us girls are gonna have a sleepover at Marley's. No boys allowed." Uo teased as she raised a brow at Kyo teasingly.

"A-As if I'd wanna! And does she even know that you plan on crashing at her place?"

"Of course she knows! We're meeting her on the way to the mall." Uo explained.

"Marley's is modelling for a third-year student's photography project," Hana mentioned.

"Oh, Hmm, I can just imagine... Yes, very nice." Shigure looked off into the distance, and the teens got a bad feeling.

"Alright! Let's go! I wanna catch Marley-Chan while she's still up in the air." Uo cheered as she marched off towards the front door.

"... HUH?" All three Sohma boys shared looks of confusion.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

The group had made it to a large gymnasium after talking to a woman at the front desk, explaining who they were looking for, and the older woman happily pointed them in the right direction but reminded them to keep their voices down.

The large room had high ceilings and lots of natural light flooded in from large windows and soft, pop-rock music filled the room. The singing was mellow but also felt uplifting, a familiar tune that made one hum along.

_And I see your true colours_

_Shining through_

_I see your true colours_

_And that's why I love you_

_So don't be afraid to let them show_

The teenagers walked into the room, not speaking as they looked around until they found who they were searching for in the far corner. All their jaws slightly dropped as they watched Marley high up in the air, suspended by deep red silk, posing as if she were in a renaissance painting, reaching out towards something they couldn't see.

_Your true colours_

_True colours_

_True colours_

_Shining through_

Third-year student, Kita Sawako, was standing on a ladder while her boyfriend, Ito Ryunosuke, made sure she didn't fall. The photographer snapped a bunch of photos before climbing down the ladder and moving around the mat, trying to get another angle.

" Wah! Marley-Chan looks like an angel!" Tohru gushed in a low voice as she brought her hands together and watched her friend go through her aerial silk routine, it looked as if she were dancing in the air, art in motion. Her tight black leotard flattering her figure and her long hair was contained in a top knot.

While Marley, for certain looked ethereal, Kyo saw something different. Her eyes seemed as if she wasn't here, something was missing.

"Can you do one more time, Marley-San? I just really want to capture a few more shots, and are you able to turn slightly towards the back? And perhaps a few more of those back-bend ones?"

Marley gave a bit of a forced smile and replied with a 'sure.' Kyo crossed his arms and let out a huff making Yuki turn to him and glaring.

" What? So impatient and idiotic that you can't enjoy the art?" Yuki scoffed, assuming Kyo was getting impatient already.

" Shut it ya damn rat, you don't know what you're talkin' about." Kyo spat back, and the two glared at each other for a moment till the music started up again, and they brought their attention back to the white-blonde beauty who was already up in the silks, sitting in a swing like position.

_You with the sad eyes_

_Don't be discouraged_

_Oh I realize_

_It's hard to take courage_

_In a world full of people_

_You can lose sight of it all_

_And the darkness inside you_

_Can make you feel so small_

Kyo continued to watch as Marley completed trick after trick, sometimes asked to pose for longer. Kyo imagined this was somewhat similar to what her showcase had been, and a feeling of regret filled him. She had been so excited to share this, but why was this look on her face made him feel like she wasn't even enjoying herself.

Marley climbed up to the top, wrapping the dark red silk around her as she rose. Marley let go of the silk that was holding her up, and her body fell, and Kyo felt his heart stop as she twirled swiftly to the ground. He had already started running forward, but she came to a sudden stop, her head dangling a foot before the blue mat. The silk wrapped around her waist, one leg that was pointed to the ceiling while the other leg kicked straight behind her, parallel to the floor. Kyo let out a sigh of relief but still moved forward, passing the girl with the camera.

" That's gorgeous! Maybe one -" The high school senior was about to ask but was quickly cut off by the orange-haired teen on a mission.

"Enough already. She's given you enough." Kyo ordered in a gruff tone as he walked past the third-year student and went straight for Marley, who was still hanging upside down in the silks. She had her eyes closed and seemed to be taking deep breathes.

Kyo squatted down so he could be at eye level with the dancer who hung upside down.

" Hey."

The greeting made Marley open her eyes and looked straight t into Kyo's orange eyes, and a smile spread across lips, happy to see the boy. Kyo felt something in him soften, the faraway look in her eyes was gone, maybe he had just been imagining things.

The two didn't even hear the snap of the camera from the third year who was capturing the moment. Too caught up in each other to notice.

"Kyo! When did you get here?" Marley asked as she looked into Kyo's saffron eyes.

"We've been here for song or two, now come on, let's go." Kyo huffed as he backed away a bit after realizing how close he had gotten, he could see the flush of her cheeks and the fullness of her dark lashes. Kyo could practically smell the soft scent of mint off her breath. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he could feel his ears go hot.

Marley nodded and lifted her body up, flipping skillfully out of the silks, and gracefully landing on the mats.

" I hope I was able to give you what you wanted," Marley said as she made her way to the 3rd year students.

"yes! Thank you so much! I'll send you all the photos once I've uploaded them." The girl bowed again, thanking Marley for her time and Marley insisted it was no trouble.

Ryu boasted that they were about to head out for a date while his girlfriend blushed, hiding her face as he laid a soft kiss to the Sawako's head as he cooed over how cute she was. Marley commented on how cute they were, and this only made the girl blush more.

Marley's friend walked, and Uo gave her a cheeky grin, commenting on Marley's flexibility as she threw an arm around the girl's shoulder while Hana gave a small smile and complimented her as well.

" I think Kyon-Kyon was disappointed he didn't catch you or something." Uo teased as he wiggled her eyebrows.

"What?" Marley asked, slightly confused over the implication as she started to take her hair out of the tight bun.

" He practically jumped out of his skin when you dropped from the ceiling." Uo laughed, sure she jumped a little too as did everyone else, but it was Kyo who had leapt forward.

" SHUT IT! I DID NOT!" Kyo shook his fist at the teasing girl, who only laughed harder.

"That's very sweet Kyo, thank you but you can trust me, I've been training since I was young. Sorry if I worried you." Marley smiled at Kyo as she released her hair from the bun, and it fell down to her waist. She let out a sigh of relief as she ran a hand through the waves in her white-blonde locks.

"... Whatever!" Kyo huffed and turned around, crossing his arms and tapping his foot.

"Marley-Chan, that really was amazing! You looked beautiful!" Tohru practically had stars in her brown eyes as she gushed over her friend, Marley slightly blushed over the compliment.

" Ah I'm so embarrassed, I feel like this wasn't my best, I made so many mistakes! Ah, but I hope you guys haven't been waiting long. I just need to change real quick, and I'll meet you out front." And with that, she ran off, eager to spend the rest of the day with her friends.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Racks of swimsuits lined the store, various styles and a rainbow of colours were on display. All the choices were a blessing and a curse, how were the girls to decide?

It had taken almost forever to make it to the swimsuit shop as Marley kept getting distracted by other stores, continually looking in the window of shops and then insisting she wanted to take a quick peek. But she had such an excited look on her face each and every time. So her friends really didn't mind all that much.

"Hmmm.. I thought this would be easy, but there are so many to choose from.."

"I should go with a one-piece, right?" Tohru asked

"You should go with whatever you like." Marley winked at Tohru before she turned her attention to look back and forth between a one-piece and bikini, wondering what she wanted.

" Which one are you thinking of, Marley-Chan?"

"Ummm... I think I'm gonna try a bikini. I think I might be a bit tall for one piece." Marley joked, but it wouldn't surprise her if she had trouble finding something that properly fit her. There were things she loved about Japan, and then there were some things that tended to drive her wild, like the limited sizing the country had. Marley had learned this with many shopping trips with Kagura and Isuzu.

"Hey! Which do you prefer, bikini or one-piece." Uo yelled at the boys, enjoying watch them squirm as they stood in the far corner.

"You're so mean, you are just doing that to tease them." Marley giggled as she watched the boys seem to sweat and felt a little bad for them.

_But it was also a little comical._

" Hey, don't ignore me! Get your asses over here and help." Uo barked, thoroughly enjoying seeing them so uncomfortable.

"Look, a guy's not supposed to help with something like this..." Kyo mumbled, but Uo still heard it.

"Then you shouldn't have tagged along." The spunky blonde scolded.

"You made us come for cryin' out loud."

"Hey, but we're all gonna for lunch after, and that'll be fun! Oh, this one's cute!" Marley called from where she was before she continued perusing swimsuit. The girl was there one second, and then she seemed to disappear behind the racks.

"It's not like I'm asking you to pick out a pair of panties." Uo sighed, shaking her head at the boy's behaviour.

"Have some decency! Please." Kyo begged, wishing that this day would end already.

His eyes caught sight of Marley again, who was carrying various hangers and holding them up to her body in a mirror while talking to Tohru. Her amethyst eyes caught his in the mirror and looked over her shoulder while waving a red swimsuit as if it to ask if what he thought, but he just blew up, redder than then swimsuit that she was waving around and turned his back to her. Muttering under his breath about being dragged here against his will.

Kyo heard her and Tohru giggle before diving into another conversation about swimsuits.

.

The white-blonde tired to make a choice for herself, but she heard Uo ask the boys about what colour would look good on Tohru. She then listened to the boys get into some sort of argument about colour, each boy putting down the favourite of the other.

Until Hana cut in.

"Pink... Pink is Tohru-Kun's colour." Hana simply put, as if it were obvious.

"Certainly, all colours would look good on her... But pink is the best." and then walked away to join Tohru.

"True... pink is Tohru's colour... That's what Kyoko-San said. Kyoko was red since she was the 'red butterfly,' and she said that her husband was white due to his clean-cut image. Put those two together, and you get pink." Uo declared, and while it was adorable how much she cared for Tohru, something about it made Marley feel uncomfortable.

" Well. All those are wonderful colours, and pink would certainly look very cute, but perhaps we should be letting Tohru pick out a colour for herself." Marley thought out loud, but it made Hana and Uo stare at her as if she had grown an extra head.

"..."

"Ah, it's just, clothes are such a personal thing right, and she's gonna be the one wearing it, it doesn't matter what colour 'suits' her, it's about what she likes. Right?" Uo and Hana both looked to one another, and Marley cursed herself for saying anything in the first place.

_Couldn't just keep my mouth shut, could I? No, had to go and make things awkward..._

"Marley-Chan, how about this one?" Tohru waved a swimsuit with polka dots in the air, an excited smile on her face.

" Oh, that's cute! Um, I was just gonna say, I imagine me and Tohru are gonna take a while, you know trying stuff on and everything, it might be boring for you guys, how about we meet you somewhere? Or you could go and come back here." Marley suggested, thankful that Tohru had broken the slight tension in the air.

"There's a bookstore just down the road I was hoping to take a look... will you be alright. We wanted to help pay for Honda-San's swimsuit." Yuki asked, but Marley just shook her head and smiled.

"Don't worry about it, I spoke to Dadaji, and the Sohma household is gonna take care of this one."

"... I need to grab new runners, I'll be back." Kyo walked off, and Yuki turned back as if asking for permission, and Marley insisted that they go off and get what they needed while the girls shopped around the store.

"Aw man, I was having fun teasing them, why did you send them away?" Uo whined as she crossed her arms. Marley just playfully stuck her tongue out at Uo before disappearing to look at more swimsuits. She was thankful that Uo didn't seem to hold anything against her.

The white-blonde found Tohru alone in a corner looking at swimsuits looking a little stressed.

"... I just want to make sure I pick out one that everyone likes..." Tohru didn't seem like she was having all that much fun.

"umm... well, what's important what you like..."

" But-"

" Mama would always say 'Titali, it's your body, and you're not gonna make everybody happy, so wear what makes you happy." Marley was having trouble remembering her mother's voice, but she could remember her words clearly.

".. Titali?"

"Oh, sorry, it means butterfly, she'd always call me that... or beta... anyway... You're the one that has to wear it Tohru, so what's most important that you like it and that you are comfortable in it." Marley tried to encourage, hoping that her words made sense.

" But there are so many, I don't want to take too long," Tohru stressed, but Marley just smiled and insisted it would be fine.

"Don't worry about that. How often do you get to pick out a swimsuit? Pick one that makes you happy. As long as you like it, what does it matter what we think?"

" Here, we'll start with these ones and go from there." Marley put a few items that Tohru had been eyeing and lightly pushed her into the change room, closing the blue curtain for her.

.

Tohru stood in the changeroom and felt the need to calm her self a little bit, she was blessed with great friends who always wanted what was best for her, and all she wanted was to make them happy.

She would slip one thing one and go through a list in her head. Was it somewhat practical? Did it fit properly? Would it make Uo and Hana happy?-

_Do I like it?_

It was weird asking herself that question. Tohru was usually so busy working, studying, saving up her money and didn't really pay attention to fashion. All her clothes were from sales and clearance and were bought for need not want, or sometimes her Mother would buy her something and gush about how cute she looked, and that had made Tohru happy. If her mother thought she looked cute, then what else really mattered.

_But Mom isn't here..._

_" Just be yourself."_

Tohru wished her Mom was here, it seemed natural to have her around when clothes shopping. When Uo and Hana would ask if she wanted to go shopping, Tohru would usually have the excuse of work. Another part just didn't want to. It was just another thing her mother wouldn't be around for.

But how long could she really put it off? And she didn't want to upset Uo by wearing her school swimsuit.

_" Pick one that makes you happy. As long as you like it, what does it matter what we think?"_

Tohru took a good look in the mirror, this swimsuit was very cute... a lot cuter than her middle school swimsuit. What would the other ones look like?

The brunette actually felt a little excited as she looked through all the swimsuits she and Marley had picked out, curious about what they would look like and which one she would like best.

In the other change room, Marley was trying to follow her own advice, but it was sometimes easier said than done. Marley kept trying on suit after suit, but all she saw was the scar on her chest. It was ugly to her. Unsightly.

As the girl traced the skin around her scar, feeling vulnerable in front of the mirror, she stepped back into a memory, unsure if it was a pleasant one or painful.

_Large hands traced her bare body, the low lights of the room and the sound of soft music in the corner while a rose scent lingered from a burning candle. Marley hated the smell of roses, but it had been a kind gesture._

_Desperate kissed trailed op from her stomach to her chest, and finally, her neck, Marley's hand clenched the sheets underneath her. She trusted this person. She loved this person._

_" You're so perfect." His voice called to her._

_"Princesa." Another kiss to her neck._

_" Flawless." His hand traced her chest and all done her sides, leaving nothing unexamined._

_"Stop, I'm not-" She tried to stop his praises, but he met her eyes, his green eyes searching her amethyst ones._

_" I love you."_

Marley retraced the scar, a reminder of how much had changed.

_Guess I'm clearly not 'flawless' now._

Marley knew that she wasn't flawless, or perfect by any means, she never was. But she tried... cause she thought maybe if she did everything right, perhaps if she could make everyone happy then it all would have been worth it. Marley had only wanted to do something to repay all the kindness and love she received. If Marley worked hard enough, then everything would be okay. That's how she taught.

_It didn't matter in the end, did it? But I still want to give it all that I can..._

"Um... Marley-Chan? Can you help me, please?" Tohru tried to call in a hushed voice from the next door changing room, but it brought Marley out from her stupor.

"Oh, be right there," Marley whispered back, shaking her head and slapping her face lightly, telling herself to get it together.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.

.

Kyo came back to the store and looked around, but it was easy to spot the tall white-blond who was standing near the cash register. Tohru was with her, and they were deep in conversation that they didn't notice Kyo standing behind them.

"I think I'll have to come back..." Marley let out a slightly defeated sigh.

"Is something wrong? Is there none you like?" Tohru asked, surprised Marley was having trouble with finding a swimsuit. Marley was such a beauty and had a gorgeous figure, Tohru thought that almost anything would look good on her.

" No.. There's a lot of cute ones, I guess... I'm still a little self-conscious about my scar." Marley admitted, her earlier enthusiasm gone.

Kyo halts as he hears this and stares out, remembering the bandages that were on Marley's arm and shoulder not that long ago. Bandages that been because of him. Before the two girls even noticed he was there, Kyo walked right back out the store, ignoring Uo, who asked where he was going.

.

" I'll get a swimsuit some other time, I just need to think about which one. It's too bad some of those one-pieces didn't fit. And I can always look online too if it really comes down to it." Marley tried to pick herself up, she didn't want to worry Tohru over her own insecurities.

"But we got yours, and I'm so excited to hit up the beach this summer, and you can show it off."

"I don't know about that." Tohru blushed as she the swimsuit she liked best to her chest. A cute baby blue, pink and white triangle bikini with a plaid pattern.

" Come on, let's pay for this and round everyone up." Marley grabbed the swimsuit Tohru had picked out for herself and walked up to the counter, Hana and Uo tried to chip, but Marley insisted that it was fine.

" I-" Tohru was already trying to figure out she could pay for the swimsuit.

"Please accept it, Honda-San." Yuki gently smiled down at the flustered girl.

" Thank you... I'll treasure it!" Tohru held her package close to her heart, and her friends came in for a group hug.

"It's a token of our gratitude." Hana put her hand on her heart as she gazed at her dear friend.

"Technically... I guess it's from Dadaji..." Marley thought out loud. She had this nagging feeling like she was supposed to use the card to buy something else.

But what was it? Lunch? No, that's not it...

"Man, I can't wait to meet this 'Dadaji.' I'm picturing this old man who has a huge permeant grin and is just so sweet looking. Like Santa." Uo pondered while Yuki made a face that said otherwise and knew that the girl would be in for a surprise.

"... Hey... where's Kyo?" Marley asked as she looked around and saw no sign of his orange locks.

" He had a look like someone pissed in his cereal and stalked off." Uo pointed outside, but Marley didn't see him anywhere.

"... how about I meet you at the soba place," Marley suggested, and Hana quickly agreed, not wanting to put off food any longer, especially now that Tohru had been taken care of.

" you sure? I don't want to leave anyone behind.." Tohru wanted to help, but a part of her knew that Marley would be best at finding Kyo and bringing him along.

" I'm just gonna call him, I'm sure he didn't wander far, maybe he had to pick up something?" Marley assured as she brought out her phone. Hana and Uo told Tohru it would be fine, and the group wandered out of the complex towards the soba restaurant they had already picked out.

.

Marley clicked on Kyo's contact card, and it rang a few times before he picked up.

" What?"

"Where are you?" Marley asked as she walked around, keeping an eye out for the boy.

"Just... needed some damn air." Kyo muffled through the phone as Marley looked around to see if she could spot him. She finally caught his orange locks. He was sitting on a bench; his shoulders were slumped forward.

Marley clicked off the phone and walked over, gently placing a hand on his back. He jumped a little but looked up and saw her face. He shrugged off her hand and moved over on the bench.

" What do you want?" He asked, shoving his phone back into his pants pocket.

"Did... did I do something wrong?" Marley asked as she sat next to him.

Kyo moved his head and looked to the shoulder that would have been the place where his claws had left marks. But he couldn't see the scars due to the white t-shirt she was wearing underneath her slip dress.

" How bad are they?" Kyo asked as he watched her through his long bangs

"How bad are what?" Marley asked, completely lost as to what he was talking about.

".. the scars... From when I-…"

_Marley reached out for Kyo's arm, hoping to comfort him, but Kyo, blinded by his rage and heartache, took his paw and pushed at Marley to keep her away, claws ripping through fabric, skin and a delicate silver chain._

_"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Kyo screamed, baring his fangs at the struck girl. Marley stumbled back from him, her body falling backwards, and she rolled down the hill and into the murky water below._

_She laid face down in the shallow water, and Kyo watched as she struggled to get up, her body shaking as she coughed up some water and brought a hand to her right shoulder. The sleeve of her blouse had been completely ripped off, and three scratches bled from her collarbone, shoulder and arm._

"When I hurt you." Kyo finally let out, and she realized what he was referring to.

_From when I pushed you away_

"Oh, it's fine! All healed up, look." Marley lifted back her sleeve, and there was no mark to be seen. Kyo looked relieved and actually reached over to lightly brush the skin himself as if to make sure there really were no scars. His callused fingers swept across the soft skin, her brown skin was flawless and soft to the touch, he felt a huge burden leave his shoulder.

He hated the idea of leaving her scarred because of his actions. Kyo didn't want to bring her any pain.

_Not when all she did was take his pain away._

" But... Wait a minute. You just said that you were self-conscious about a scar?!" Kyo asked, and Marley raised an eyebrow at him.

"Where did you hear... I guess it doesn't matter." Marley put the sleeve back in place and ran a hand through her long locks.

".. So.. I don't know if you know um. But I was in a hospital because of a... well heart failure is the easiest way to put it." Marley explained, Kyo did know that, but other than the basic details he knew nothing, the girl barely spoke of her extended stay in the hospital or what had kept her there.

" And I was lucky enough to receive a new heart in time, but... the surgery left a scar in the center of my chest." Marley laid a hand over her chest, where the scar laid but could not be seen, her eyes staring at the ground as she played with her silver locket.

Kyo tried to think back and everything he had ever seen Marley wear, and he never really seen her wear anything revealing her chest. He looked at what she was wearing today.

It was a cute black dress that had little white and orange flowers and grazed her upper thigh, showing off her long legs. It had thin straps and was cut low in the chest, but she wore a white-t-shirt underneath. She looked like the cutest thing Kyo had ever seen and had thought so all day. He couldn't stand the fact that she was worried over some scar.

"C'mon." Kyo got up from the bench and grabbed Marley by her forearm.

"Wait- what?" The confused girl asked she let Kyo drag her around.

"We're gonna pick ya out a damn swimsuit. That's why we came, right?" Kyo told her, ignoring the strange looks they received from other shoppers as he pulled her back through the mall.

"Well actually-"

"Just... Be quick or whatever..." Kyo's ears where red, he didn't know why it bothered him so much. Why should he care if Marley was self-conscious over some scar? It wasn't his problem, there was nothing he could do about it.

But that uncertain look in her large eyes, her lips pressed in a line. Kyo hated it.

Marley really had no chance as Kyo pulled her along back into the store and followed her as she picked out a few and waited right outside the curtain of the change room.

Kyo then spotted a swimsuit across the store and walked over. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around to see if anyone was watching before snatching it. Kyo awkwardly rushed back to the change room area and basically threw it into the change room, causing Marley to let out small surprise yelp.

" Oh! this is so cute?!" Marley called out as she looked over the cute two-piece.

"Why do ya sound so surprised?" Did Marley not trust his taste? For some reason, it had Kyo feeling self-conscious as he looked down at his own attire, his mended green cargo pants and simple black V-neck t-shirt. Nothing wrong with that, right? It shouldn't have mattered, why should he care?

_She was the one to fix them in the first place... why shouldn't I wear them?_

"Don't worry, you're so handsome, you look good in anything." Marley piped up as if she could read his mind, and Kyo felt his ears go red while he let out a huff and crossed his arms. But he couldn't deny that he felt relieved over the statement.

Marley took a good look at the swimsuit Kyo had picked out, checking herself out in the mirror. It was wrap halter bikini top with a slight V-neck in the front and slightly high-cut bikini bottoms. The pattern was a purple motif with many tropical flowers in white, pinks and blues.

It fit her really well and was absolutely adorable... but her scar was on full display.

" Whatever you get..it won't matter that you have a scar or not. That scar is proof, right? That you're alive... Right now." Kyo stood right outside the blue curtain separating them, Marley stood directly on the other side, hanging onto his words.

" And that's all that really matters...that you're here... with me." Kyo didn't even realize the last bit had slipped out, he had said it so quietly, but Marley heard it.

Marley placed her hand over her heart and whispered a small thank you, small tears building up, but she was smiling. It was a blessing, Marley had been given a rare gift, and while Marley still was slightly self-conscious about the white scar, she would also let it be a reminder that she was alive. And that someone was happy that she was.

_I'm here... with you_

"Are... are you dressed yet?" Kyo was starting to get impatient, and he could feel people look at him as they passed by the changing area.

"Yeah, I-"

"Well then let-" Kyo ripped open the curtain without thinking and then froze

"go..." Kyo finished as his eyes raked over Marley in her purple floral swimsuit. His heart was hammering in his chest, and his stomach was doing flips.

_She looks way too adorable! What the hell?!_

"Umm...so how does it look?" Marley nervously giggled as she turned a bit. She was blushing a little bit but was trying to wave it off as nerves.

"You can't get that one." Kyo simply put, and Marley dropped her jaw, astounded that that was the answer he was giving her.

"Why?!"

"..."

"Does... does it look bad?" Marley digested with her hair, twirling it a bit in her fingers as she slightly pouted. She really liked it and thought it looked cute on her.

"What!? NO!" If his blushing face was anything to go on, then he did like it, and Marley found herself excited.

" I'm getting this one." Marley smiled at him before closing the curtain.

"GAH! I'm leavin'!" Kyo huffed, and Marley could hear him stomping away, declaring he didn't care about swimsuit she got, but Marley just giggled behind the curtain, unable to wipe the smile off her face. Kyo cared a lot more than most, and that made her heart feel warm. Justifying to herself that she was getting it because she liked it, it was just a bonus that Kyo picked it out for her. Again, surprising her with his taste in clothes.

_Maybe I should give him more credit... I still hate those cargo pants, though..._

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

"Where's the other hottie?" A young girl with a mask over her face asked.

"How did we lose him?" A girl with dark hair to her shoulders looked around the restaurant to see if they could catch the orange hair of the handsome stranger they had seen earlier.

"Um... Excuse me. Just need to get through." Marley said to the three girls in school uniforms that were blocking the hallway in the small restaurant.

" A A- A foreigner. It's a foreigner!" A shorted girl pointed a finger and jumped back, causing Marley to raise an eyebrow and tilt her head.

"You got a problem?" Kyo asked as he glared down at the girls, and they all furiously shook their heads before moving out of the way and then letting them pass while Marley just smiled and thanked the strange girls.

.

"Hey, you two, what happened?" Uo asked

" Sorry, I changed my mind and decided to buy a swimsuit. Kyo actually helped pick out a really cute one. " Marley apologized as she walked up to their table and placed down her bags.

" Is that why's Kyo's face all red?" Uo snickered, enjoying how this day was turning into a 'how far can I push Kyon-Kyon event.'

"Oh, he-" Marley was cut off by Kyo, throwing a napkin at her face before she could tell them about the curtain incident.

"Don't" Kyo glared at her, but it only made her come up with a terrible lie.

"... ate something really spicy?"

"... idiot." Kyo scoffed.

" Who are you calling Idiot? Stupid Cat." Yuki was always quick with his

"Why I out-" Marley quickly spoke up to keep the cousins from starting as she put a hand on Kyo's shoulder, immediately stopping his tirade. But that didn't stop him and Yuki from glaring at each other.

"Anyway! Sorry to keep you waiting." Marley apologized as she took a seat on the floor.

" Uotani-San was just telling us how she met Tohru." Yuki explained as he made room for Marley, and Kyo sat to her other side.

"Oh! In middle school, right?"

"Yeah, you were still in the gang at the time, weren't you Uo-Chan?" Tohru pointed out.

" That's right! I made my gang debut in 5th grade!" Uo boasted proudly, and both Kyo and Marley let their jaws slightly drop over the information.

"You were in a gang when you were 11?" Marley asked she had known that Uo had been part of some sort of gang for a bit but had no idea she was so young when it happened. She couldn't imagine what Uo had been through during her time in a gang and was grateful that she had seemed to have gotten away from it.

Marley wondered how different gang life in Japan was to America. While she had never been in a gang, she had gotten a small look at it, there was some gang violence around her apartment complex. Marley grew up in a lightly questionable neighbourhood, so it wasn't really avoidable.

Her closest friend in America had been a part of gang life, and he had gotten away from it when they were 15, but she worried about him. Even if he refused to answer any of her messages, she was still confident that her friend had kept himself out of trouble. Or at least she hoped his big sister was there for him.

"You...you really were a delinquent?" Kyo asked, he had been calling her a delinquent as a joke, he had no idea she had been part of an actual gang.

"Oh yeah, all the way."

The waitress came by to take their orders, and conversation flowed back into Uo's life. Her life as a young gangster, all the anger she had, and her mission to meet her idol who had once been a gangster herself. Tohru's mother, Kyoko.

"My idol Kyoko-San had become a doting mommy. I was disappointed at the time. Not like it was up to me... but like I said, I considered her my hero. So when I met her in person, I was like ' she's not supposed to e like this.'" Uo told her story, only taking a break as the food got dropped off.

Kyo immediately took the prawn tempura off of Marley's plate, knowing she wouldn't eat it. Marley was too invested in the story to really notice. But Yuki and Hana caught it though and were about to say something but stopped when Kyo took the vegetable tempera off of his plate and placed it back onto Marley's soba bowl.

Marley's eyes travelled to Tohru now and then, checking how the girl was doing over the story of her mother.

There were times that she wished that she was around more people who knew her own mother so that they could reminisce about her life. But another part was glad that she wasn't brought up constantly. It was still hard to think that she would never see her mother again, she didn't want to be reminded by others as well. It was a complicated feeling.

.

The group left the soba restaurant, but Marley was distracted by something. Who were these three girls following them?

"Um... is there something you would like?" Marley asked, wondering if she had missed something. One of the girls pointed at Marley and spoke... some broken English, Marley couldn't really understand, and she tilted her head.

"... Was I not speaking Japanese to them?" Marley asked, wondering why the girls were attempting to speak English with her.

"They are just fools. Let me.." Hana preceded to place just a touch of 'pressure' onto the three girls that had been trailing the group of friends.

"Umm... maybe we should ask what they need? Maybe they're lost?" Marley asked as she saw the terrified looks on the young girls as Hana exercised her 'superpowers'.

"Oh, they're lost, alright." Kyo scoffed, he was exhausted, this day had just seemed to go on and on.

"They tried to stop us before we entered the restaurant, they apparently want to form an army of delinquents," Uo mentioned, more or less ignoring the three girls.

"Oh? Um... that's..." Marley really couldn't come up with anything to say on the matter.

"Ya... Ya scared ya foreigner?! Ya should be! Just cause you're a giant doesn't mean you scare us!" The girl with the short light brown hair shakily waved her fist at Marley, who was now distressed.

" That's enough." Hana put a bit more pressure on them, and the three girls shivered.

" I'm... I'm not a giant? Am I?" Marley was kneeling on the ground, drawing circular patterns on the ground with her ring finger. There was nothing she could really do about her height, but she didn't see herself as a giant. She was about the same height as Kyo and Yuki, and they weren't all that tall.

" Well, you're definitely not a midget." Uo teased as she couldn't help herself, but she was actually jealous of Marley's height.

"... It's not like I can lose height..." Marley pouted, puffing out her cheeks slightly. Kyo and Yuki seemed to sigh while Tohru knelt down by Marley to try and comfort her.

"You don't think I'm a giant, do you, Tohru?"Marley looked up at her from her kneeled position, her large eyes on the verge of crocodile tears.

"Not at all!" Tohru insisted.

"See! Tohru doesn't think I'm a giant." Marley claimed, standing up straight with a smile on her face over Tohru's simple confirmation.

"You're hangin' out with Momiji too much. The only 'giant' part of you is that you're a giant cry baby." Kyo sighed but a small smile on his lips, shaking his head at Marley, who giggled over his joke.

The three delinquents finally snapped, and one of them rushed forward to try and get Uo, but she simply put up her hand and placed it on the young girl's head, stopping her from landing a hit.

Uotani was able to give some words of advice, and it seemed to get through to the young gangster who then referred to her as 'Ane-San.'

" Later, boys! Try to survive one night without Tohru." Uo snickered, and Tohru laughed nervously and actually reminded them of the food she had prepared that was in the fridge and had even left instructions for them for heating it up.

"Tch." Kyo stuffed his hands into his pockets, not looking forward to walking home with the grey-haired boy.

"Have a good evening." Yuki wished goodbye to the girls as they parted ways.

" Oh! We should just stop by the bakery, I wanna grab bread for the morning and pick up some sweets for Dadaji." Marley mentioned as the girls walked in the direction of the Sohma Estate.

_That must have been what I was forgetting!_

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

"I'm home! And I brought my friends!" Marley called out as she slipped off her shoes and carried a small box of chocolate croissants.

"... These... are your friends?" The Sohma elder eyed the goth looking girl and the one who looked like she was fresh out of a gang. He wondered what kind of high school his granddaughter attended, and if he made the right choice. But then reminded himself not to judge, even if it was hard for the Sohma Elder.

"Tetsuo-San! Thank you for having us." Tohru repeatedly bowed, honoured to be in the large beautiful home.

"Honda-Chan, welcome. You are looking well." Tetsuo gruffly greeted the girl before turning his attention to the new faces.

" Dadaji, this is Uotani Arisa and Hanajima Saki. They're the friends I was telling you about." Marley introduced the girls, Hana gave a small bow while Uo threw up a victory sign.

"Sohma Tetsuo. Nice to meet you, thank you for looking after my grand-daughter." Tetsuo very slightly bowed his head as Marley handed him the box of chocolate baked goods she picked up from the local bakery.

"There's a croissant missing," The Sohma Elder pointed out, he knew this bakery well, and this package typically came with 6, there were only 5 left in the box.

"Oh, sorry, we saw Kagura on the walk back," Marley revealed, the 4 girls had run into the college student as she was just leaving the estate. Kagura was on her way to see Kyo actually, claiming that it had been too long since she had seen 'Her Love.'

Quick introductions had been made before Marley offered her a croissant before she skipped off, humming a song that Marley didn't recognize.

Marley imagined that right now, Kagura had latched herself to Kyo and was cradling him close. It made Marley feel... like something was off. It didn't really make sense.

_Kagura's my friend, and so is Kyo... But then why-_

"Dude... your grandfather looks like the leader of the yakuza or something." Uo pointed out, interrupting Marley's thoughts. Tetsuo certainly wasn't what she was expecting when she found out Marley lived with her grandfather, she was expecting more like Tohru's grandfather.

"Does he?" Marley asked, looking back at her Dadaji and wondered what Uo meant by that.

"Oh, Marley, did you pick up a dress for the charity gala?" Tetsuo asked as he came out

_So that's what I was forgetting?!_

Tetsuo could read the look on her face and rolled his eyes.

" I'll have my assistant pick you up a few choices." The old man told her, but Marley still felt guilty about forgetting.

"So... is there anything you guys wanna do?" Marley asked the three. Tohru had finally calmed down from being on the 'inside' of the Sohma Estate, and Uo and Hana wanted to look around the house. They were amazed that Marley had been living in such a beautiful traditional home all this time.

"This place is bigger than the novelist's." Uo whistled, really taking in the gorgeous home.

"How many bedrooms?"

"Um... 4, I believe?"

" Yo, old man, what do you do for a living?" Uo asked.

" Old man?" He glared at the girl, but Uotani was fired up and didn't look away, she could feel her delinquent self creeping in, and there was something about the energy the old man gave off that she fired up. Tetsuo stood up straight and tall over the ex-delinquent.

" Hmm... do you girls want to play a game."

" That's not an answer!"

"Uo-Chan." Tohru thought maybe Uo was getting a little too fired up with the elder, but Marley only giggled over the scene, it was definitely comical, and she knew her Dadaji well enough to know that he liked a good challenge.

"If you win, then I'll tell you." Tetsuo offered, if Uo wasn't so 'rude' then he would have told her, but he had to get his kicks from somewhere.

" Name your game." Uo took up the offer, a competitive gleam in her eye.

" Ladies choice." Tetsuo insisted, and Uo looked around the room and then caught sight of a particular gaming system.

"Mario Kart." And Uo had no idea what she had gotten herself into because Tetsuo had won many of the small tournaments that took place in the household.

Marley set up the system and then let them play while she got tea and snacks ready, placing the fresh chocolate croissants on a plate along with some cut up apples and pears.

_I'm glad that everyone seems to be getting along, it's too bad Yuki, and Kyo couldn't come._

.

Marley and the girls were later hanging out in her room Hana and Tohru were both working on straightening Marley's long hair while Uo was screaming into a pillow about defeat. Tetsuo had wiped the floor, the only one who beat him was Hana.

" I can always just tell you, Uo." Marley offered, even though she wasn't entirely sure. Still, she knew her Dadaji was an influential man and owned multiple corporations while also managing the majority of the Sohma Estate's wealth.

"No, a loss is a loss. I'll get him next time. But man, you're so lucky you have such a kick-ass Ojii-Chan." Uo stretched as she got up off the bed and took a good look around Marley's room while the girl smiled wholeheartedly agreeing, she was indeed lucky. It was just too bad that it took so long for Tetsuo Sohma to open up to Chandra and Marley. Maybe things might have been different.

"Wow! All these clothes!" Uo was now going through Marley's closet while the white-blonde gathered all of her nail supplies, the girls thought it would be fun to do manicures and watch a movie. But first, they wanted to see Marley's room.

"Uh. Yeah. Dadaji might have gonna a little overboard at Christmas." Marley nervously giggled, embarrassed about how much she had been spoiled. Her grandfather tended to shower her in gifts, she just wasn't use to it and always felt a little awkward, but it was how he showed love.

" You have so many photos, Marley-Chan," Hana mentioned as her dark eyes looked over the various happy photos with many different people. She recognized Momiji in a few, there was even a photo of Tohru and Marley at a lake.

"Oh yeah, got a photo printer for my birthday, so I might have gone a little overboard." Her birthday had been back in the fall, but she had already printed out over 50 photos and only a fraction of those made it into frames.

Hana picked up a photo frame of her and her parents at what looked like a concert of some sort and then another of her, and what had to be her step-father sitting on a picnic blanket, he was holding an acoustic guitar while Marley was smiling.

" We never hear you really talk about your life in America."

"Oh, I'm sure it would be boring." Marley wasn't sure there was much to talk about.

"I would like to hear." Hana persisted as she made herself comfortable on the bed, and soon all three girls were looking at the immigrant.

"C'mon spill." Uo suggested as she grabbed the bucket of nail supplies from Marley and placed it on the small table in the bedroom.

"Um... Well.."

" I guess we moved there when I was about 8 or 9? To be honest, so much happened in those years that I can't really remember too much. We lived in an apartment that was maybe... 15-minute bus ride from the Strip." Marley started as she made herself comfortable on the comfy yellow chair she kept in the room.

"The Strip?"

"Oh, the Vegas Strip, that really crazy length of road with all the lights and hotels. Here." Marley picked up a picture of her and few ballet friends posing on the vegas strip.

" I had... Trouble making friends. I struggled with the language for a few years, and my looks really made me stand out..."

All three girls could agree that they had troubles as kids when it came to others and could empathize.

"Mama and Bapu both worked tough and long hours..."

When she was younger, her mother would sneak her into the dressing room and have her stay there during times when she and Bapu were working. They didn't live in the 'nicest' neighbourhood, and she didn't want to leave Marley on her own. They were able to bribe the other dancers to keep it a secret through bribes of food.

"Sometimes I would get to go with Mama to work, kinda, and her co-workers would teach me all about make-up and hair, even try to give me love advice. I would try to help by mending their costumes or whatever they needed." Marley smiled as she remembered all the ladies, fussing over her and all the beautiful costumes they wore.

"Costumes?" Tohru asked, curious as to what kind of 'costumes' Marley was talking about.

"Oh, Mama worked in a burlesque club," Marley mentioned, and all the girls' jaws dropped.

"That's so badass! I gotta see pictures!" Uo jumped up, not expecting that kind of twist to Marley's tale.

"I wouldn't mind seeing, I'm definitely intrigued," Hana asked.

"If you don't mind, Marley-Chan."

"Umm, no not all, let me just grab my laptop." Marley brought up a file and then let the girls go through pictures. There were pictures of her mother in various costumes from shows, silks, glitter, sequins, feathers, Chandra Bakshi was a queen of the burlesque stage. Or at least to Marley, she was.

"Oh, what's this."

"A taping of one of her acts, we can watch it." Marley had memorized every performance that had been taped, and she thought this would be a good one to show.

" Does... It have... Um." Poor Tohru wasn't sure how to ask if there was anything 'inappropriate' in it.

"Don't worry, the club couldn't do full nudity or anything, and Mama was always tasteful. But I'll stop it when it gets to the corset bit." Marley thought it was cute that Tohru worried about that.

Marley clicked play, and the host came on stage.

_" Hope everyone's enjoying their night, it's a beautiful Thursday evening, and here at 'The Palace' we are lucky to have the most beautiful women in the world. Speaking of beautiful women, now treat your sweet tooth to this sweet delight, but careful, she's also got a little spice to her. Cinnamon Bliss!" The host introduced before he walked off, and the curtain rose behind him._

_The jazz band started, and a woman with a dark purple dress and boa had her back to the audience._

_Her long dark hair fell perfect retro waves, and she looked over her shoulder, her large deep chocolate eyes lined in black pencil, her lips were painted a dark red, almost black looking colour. She gave a flirtation wink to the audience, and they whistled and whooped before she started sultry strut to the rhythm of the band._

_Her dress was high cut in the front showing off her long brown legs as she walked towards the audience and playfully slunk the boa off her body before slowly and seductively licking her lips._

"THAT'S your mother?" Uo gasped.

"Yep. That's Mama." A proud smile on Marley's face, she knew her mother owned that stage. To be honest, Marley's mother had looked for work as an aerial artist in some of the big shoes, but she couldn't seem to land a part, but someone suggested she could do burlesque shows and then, well she ended up loving it and the pay was decent.

" Damn, I'm sorry I'm not trying to be inappropriate or whatever, but. DAMN."

_Chandra began taking off her silk gloves, slowly and really working with the music. The beautiful dancer went back to her starting point with the band, with her back to the audience, and she put her hands on her hips, looking over her shoulder and winking and giving them a dangerous grin while the band started up again with a new song._

"Annnd, I think I better end it there." Marley paused the video, not wanting to really expose her friend to her Mother, stripping the rest of her clothes and shaking her booty to the audience. Marley was sure that Uo and Hana would have been able to handle it, but she didn't need Tohru passing out.

"Aww, fine."

"But the club put a lot of her acts on YouTube, you just gotta look her up." Marley closed the laptop and put it back on her desk.

"Wow... that was amazing, and she's so beautiful."Tohru gushed, Marley's mother had looked like a goddess of some sort and even though

"You take after your mother a lot," Hana told her and Marley took it as a huge compliment. Her mother was the strongest person she knew and was so confident and beautiful. There was no one better in Marley's eyes.

"... despite the hair colour and eyes." Hana finished, and that only made Marley laugh, but on the inside, she really wished she had gotten her mother's dark hair and warm brown eyes. But Marley had ended up with her birth father's traits, and that was... fine.

"So, did you start dancing because of your mother?" Tohru asked.

"Actually, I got into dance because of movies, but Mama was the one who taught me aerial silks, she would do one aerial silk show every other night she worked." Marley had been in love with dance since the first moment she saw the movie 'Devdas' playing on her great-grandmother's T.V and was always trying to copy the movements.

When they moved to Nevada, there was no place for it, but Marley found ballet and wanted to float across the dance floor liked the ballet dancers had. Marley had fallen in love with it and spent much of her time training.

"What did your pop's do?" Uo asked as she lounged out on Marley's bed.

"Bapu was one of the bartenders for the club, I think he also liked being able to keep an eye on Mama, make sure no one got any ideas." The white-blonde laughed at how protective her Bapu had been, but who could blame him, they lived in a harsh show biz environment. Anything could happen.

As Marley got older, she was trusted to stay home alone. But it was lonely. So many nights eating dinners alone and trying to wait for them to come home. Even if it meant going to sleep and setting the alarm for 4 in the morning so she could get up and make them breakfast... or dinner in their case. Just to spend a little extra time with them.

Marley tried to take care of the house to they wouldn't have to worry, so she could feel like she could contribute something to make her parents' lives a little easier.

"So handsome..." Tohru had picked up a photo frame from Marley's dresser, and Uo wanted to check out what she had found.

"Oh, who is this?!" In the photo was a 15-year-old Marley in a simple pink gingham summer dress and with her was a tall, well-built boy with shaggy chocolate brown hair. His arms were covered in various tattoos, his eyes were a green colour, and he had a giant grin while Marley had more a small smile. He had a bit of devilish look to him, his well-defined muscles shown off in the simple grey crew cut T-shirt.

"Oh, that's Miguel." Marley took the photo and smiled down at it.

"A boyfriend?"

"Umm, hahaha, well..."Marley nervously laughed, while they had never officially dated, there was a short period where they kind of were.

"He was my best friend. He's back in Vegas living with his big sister." At least, that's what she assumed, they hadn't spoken since she left. He sent her a message, giving her his condolences about Marley's parents, but... a part of her knew that his sister had probably typed it for him.

They hadn't parted on great terms.

"Soo... Miguel." Uo was wiggling her eyebrows, and Marley tried not to laugh how they butchered her poor friend's name.

" I met Miguel when I guess I was entering junior high, and we shared a few classes. I knew about him before that, though, because he was the younger brother of one of Mama's co-workers."

"Miguel... he scared a lot of people away, he got into a lot of fights, and he didn't get along with his parents. But he had a really kind heart." Marley told them as she handed back the photo to Tohru.

_A young 13-year-old Marley was doing the grocery shopping after her ballet class, it was late, but Marley felt confident that she could make it back before it got too dark._

_" What should I make for dinner? Maybe some gnocchi with pesto, and what else?" Marley spoke to herself as she tried to come to a decision._

_"Speak English, this is America." She spat, and it made the young teenager jump in her skin, she hadn't even realized she had slipped into her native tongue._

_"Oh .. um I-I was just talking to myself and-"_

_"Why don't you shut the fuck up, cabrón." Marley looked behind her there stood a boy who stood tall over her and a large frame, a dark blue beanie and a dark grey hoodie with black jeans. His dark green eyes glaring at the woman who had spoken to Marley. Miguel Ángel Hernández Flores, who was supposed to be her science partner, but he was hardly ever in class, only showing up when he was forced._

_The blonde women in her forties gave a sour look, but before she could say anything more, the boy stood in front of Marley, his towering figure sheltering her. And the woman eventually walked away._

_"Um... would you like to come over for dinner?"_

He had actually walked away from the invitation, but that didn't stop Marley from trying again and again. Eventually, he excepted the invitation to dinner. And many dinners after that.

"Sooo...did you two?.." Uo asked and Marley could tell what she was trying to insinuate.

"Your blushing! Tell us!"

" Well...Miguel was my first..." Marley blurted while also lightly blushing.

"Your first...?" Marley just blushed harder, and the lightbulb went on in Uo's head...and then all hell seemed to break loose.

"OH MY GOD! I thought you where just gonna say you guys kissed or something." Uo was practically shaking Marley back and forth

" HE WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE YOU HICKIES!" Uo laughed as she remembered a recent conversation about Marley's past romances, where she had kept a tight lid.

"But man, what a hottie." Uo whistled, looking at the photo that Tohru still held in her hands.

"He's probably out for summer by now, I'm already missing American summer vacation, 2 full months of no school." Marley joked while changing the subject, but it was kind of true, the start of their own summer vacation felt like it was never gonna come.

Tohru's brown eyes looked at the photo again, her eyes tracing the tattoo's and back up to the toothy grin and chocolate brown locks that looked soft to touch. Miguel certainly was handsome.

It was strange how much Miguel had come up today. Marley had tried to reach out, but she figured he was hurt. Or maybe Marley simply didn't matter to him.

_Perhaps that's what I deserve_

.

A meow broke through Marley's thoughts, and the large orange and white feline of the house padded into the room.

"Hey baby, I haven't seen you all day." Marley picked up the large cat and hugged him close to her chest. He meowed back.

"Were you out, patrolling?" Marley asked in a baby voice, and the cat seemed to meow back in reply.

"Aww, such a good kitty, keeping his territory safe, our tough warrior cat, Gimli." Marley cuddled the cat, holding him like a baby as she rocked him back and forth. Gimli didn't look all that impressed, but he put up with it.

"Pfft. Hahaha, you're such dork." Uo laughed, but Marley just smiled and continued to cuddle the cat.

"That cat... He quiet impressive. What kind is he?"

"Um, well, I found him in the street, but the vet thinks he might be a Norwegian mountain cat. Or a Maine coon." It was funny how the little kitty that once fit in her palm was now the size of a small dog. With all his fluff, maybe a medium-sized dog.

"Gimli, you wanna say hello?" Marley asked the fluffy orange cat who was busy kneading his paws into Marley's chest.

" He's so handsome." Tohru gushed and reached out her hand.

"Gimli, be nice," Marley told her cat who meowed and let the Tohru pet him. Marley let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, that's good. He's very picky. He even scratched Kyo." But maybe Gimli was getting better, he had let Kazuma pet him, and now Tohru. Marley would sometimes catch Gimli resting in Tetsuo's lap.

"Really? But Kyon-Kyon's the like the cat whisperer." Uo was slightly shocked, but also would she could have been there for the moment when the cat turned on the cat-king.

Both Tohru and Marley laughed nervously, as they were the ones who knew why cats flocked to the poor orange-haired boy.

" Man, I would love to see Kyon-Kyon's face when he finds out you have a super hot ex-boyfriend out there.." A huge grin was on Uo's face as she said this, clearly enjoying this too much.

"Huh?"

"C'mon, you two do nothing but flirt, we have a bet going on about how long it's gonna take for you to start dating." Uo teased as she winked at Marley.

"Wait, what?!" Marley's face. Had they been flirting? Marley doubted it.

" It is quite interesting to watch. Today at lunch, when Kyo switched out your tempera. Already seems like you two are dating." Hana pointed out, and Marley hadn't even realized that had taken place. She would have to send Kyo a text to thank him.

"Well, Kyo really likes shrimp... and he knows that I can't eat meat..." Marley pointed out, it was just an act of Kyo being kind. It didn't mean anything.

"Okay, and what were you two getting up to when we were separated?" Uo asked. Marley thought back to earlier that day in the changing room area where Kyo encouraged her, tried to make her feel better about her scar, that it didn't matter how it looked.

_" And that's all that really matters...that you're here... with me."_

" I really was just getting a new swimsuit..." Marley tried not to take Kyo's words too much to heart, he was just comforting her.

"And Kyo picked out this little number for you?" Uo reached into Marley's shopping bag and brought out the purple floral bikini.

"... Kyo has surprisingly good taste..." Hana nodded, she imagined the swimsuit looked lovely on Marley.

"You two kill me, seriously." Uo shook her head, wishing the two teens would stop this dance already.

"it's not like that between Kyo and me. He's a great friend. He doesn't see me that way." Marley protested, but the three girls couldn't ignore the girl's red face.

" Besides. Remember that gorgeous girl we talked to when coming into the estate." Marley herself was reminded that there was another reason she and Kyo couldn't be.

"Yeah, very cute, very girly." Uo thought of the pretty girl that had taken one of the chocolate croissants before running off, mentioning she was off to see 'her love.'

"Yeah, she's a friend of mine and.. she's in love with Kyo. She says they're engaged, but I'm a little uncertain of the details," Marley admitted. Kagura was definitely the ideal type, Japanese beauty standards, her pale skin, petite size, and good looks made her perfect. She needed to work on her... impulsive behaviour, but maybe Kyo was into that?

" So yeah, Kyo has Kagura, I hardly believe he would ever be interested is someone like me." Marley laughed, but an uncomfortable feeling seemed to coil in her chest.

"I should...make some chai and maybe grab some snacks. But why don't you guys pick a movie or something to watch? And I need to also find the nail polish remover if we're gonna do nails." Marley started rambling while she got up and left.

" I'm gonna help Marley-Chan." Tohru volunteered, following after the girl who had already left the room.

"I think … we might have pushed too far." Hana voiced, she could that Kyo was not ready for any real romantic entanglement, but he was certainly less chaotic then he had been a few months ago and that had to mean something.

_Something was changing._

" You were pretty quiet when we came in, what do you think?" Uo asked for Hana's wave report.

"It's strange...when we walked into the inner part of this Estate. The air felt... thick, it's hard for me to even explain, but it felt like something... rotting. But-"

"But?"

" It was like the air cleared when we made it to Marley's home. Like the dead air was never there and replaced with warmth... a refreshing feeling." Hana voiced, but she would remember that there was something about Marley's waves that always made her pause, they were lovely waves but still. She could sense something odd, but she would blink, and it would be gone.

Hana was very curious about the many mysteries of the Sohma clan.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

"Marley-Chan?" Tohru called out as she walked into the kitchen, noticing her friend was zoned out as the water ran.

"Oh, whoops, wasn't paying attention." The kettle Marley was filling up was overflowing in the sink, and she had to pour some more water out before placing it on the stove and flicking the switch.

" I think... there was some rice crackers... or we maybe I should bring up these mango ice-cream mochi balls. They might go well or maybe some cookies."

" You know...Kagura doesn't really come by that often." Tohru told her, hoping maybe to sort out what could be a misunderstanding.

"Really? That seems odd." Marley commented as she put loose leaf tea in a steeper.

"I think... she's trying to put distance between her and Kyo." Tohru voiced, hoping she could say the right words. Tohru knew that even though Kagura called Kyo her fiancé, she knew from Kyo that it wasn't actually true. Did Marley not know? Or was she just trying to be respectful of Kagura's feelings?

"... I wonder why. She talks about him all the time. And isn't it kind of lucky for them, right? They're members of the zodiac, and they'll be able to hold one another... plus they would look adorable together." Marley started to ramble as continued to look through cupboards and bring out various snacks.

The brunette just watched and started to think back on all she had seen these past few months.

Tohru had really seen the change in Kyo, she had known him since last fall and watched him grow little by little, but the biggest thing she noticed was that Kyo seemed lighter then he did before, he smiled more.

It wasn't much of a mystery where the orange-haired spent most evenings, Tohru ended up being told not to bother saving dinner for Kyo for the majority of the week. And if Tohru did catch Kyo coming home late in the evening, he usually had a serene look in his eyes. If Tohru asked him how training was, it often led to Kyo blushing while he mentioned that Marley said 'hi.'

It wasn't just Kyo. Marley always smiled a little more and just seemed more at ease when Kyo was close by. It warmed Tohru's heart to see her friends so happy, despite all the cruel things that had happened to them.

"Sorry, I don't mean to be out... of sorts. I guess bringing up the past felt a little overwhelming. It's been a long day." Marley admitted, but she really didn't want to talk about Kagura and Kyo. Kyo was just a friend who was a really wonderful person, and anyone would be lucky to be with him. That was all. Right?

"So, what colour were you thinking for nails?" Marley asked Tohru, trying to distract herself from the growing weight in her chest. She couldn't begin to wonder about relationships, Marley didn't feel like she could be able to ever feel that way about another person, not after what happened with Miguel. Or maybe she was afraid. How many times can a heartbreak?

" The lilac colour was really pretty," Tohru mentioned as she looked down at her short nails.

"That would look really cute. I think I might go with the hot pink." Marley gave a big smile, but Tohru wondered what was going on behind it.

.

.-.-.-.-.

.

Marley woke up to a paw pressing against her face.

"Okay, okay, I'm up." Marley yawned as she raised a hand and petted Gimli's soft fur. Everyone else was still sound asleep, they had stayed up pretty late watching Pixar movies. It started with Toy Story where Hana straightened Marley's hair, Tohru and Marley cried during Jessie's song in Toy Stoy 2 and then all three fell asleep during the third movie.

Marley's bed wasn't big enough for four people, so they ended up camping out in the living room. Marley carefully stepped around the sleeping bodies and slowly slid open the porch door so that Gimli could go out for his 'morning patrol.'

The girl tip-toed across the room and disappeared upstairs, getting ready for the day, washing her face and slipping on a thin grey sweatshirt for the chilly morning. It was cold now, but it would warm up quickly.

The white-blonde stepped outside and closed the porch door behind her, taking in the morning air and stretching towards the sky. She figured she had some time before the others started waking up. Some morning stretches, and then she would get started on breakfast. Marley was excited to make a big American style breakfast for her friends.

She was only maybe 20 minutes in, working on some deep backbends when a gentle deep voice interrupted.

.

"I hope I'm not intruding." Marley turned and saw a familiar man standing just a few feet away from the porch, his soft auburn eyes looking slightly apologetic.

"Kureno?! Good morning, how are you? Is everything alright?" It was certainly odd to see the Zodiac member at her house, he was usually at the main house. With Akito.

" I'm good, thank you. And everything is.. Fine." Kureno told her, and this only made more questions rise, he could be a worse liar then Marley.

" Your eyes seem to be okay." Kureno smiled, relieved that Marley was okay after the incident at the main house.

"Oh, yes, nothing to worry about, they were back to normal pretty quickly."

" That is a relief, Akito will be happy to know that. You haven't been around very much." Kureno pointed, and Marley suddenly felt a little guilty. She and Akito typically had tea once or twice a week, but she hardly felt like gossiping with the girl this past week.

"Yes, well. Just been a bit busy is all." It wasn't really a lie, Marley really had been busy, as if she kept herself busy with anything she could. Marley was uncertain of where she stood with Akito, her hurtful words were hard to forget.

_" You're an outsider! You have no right! You don't know anything! WE have a bond!"_

But it wasn't like Akito was wrong. When it came to Zodiac affairs, Marley was just an outsider, and she didn't understand any bit of it. The only relief from that day was to learn that Kyo has some sort of deal with Akito to become part of the Zodiac, and Marley believed in him.

" I hope you know... that even if she can't say it. Akito really is sorry that she lost her temper." Kureno tried to apologize for the actions of another.

Was it pride that kept Akito from properly apologizing? Or was it that she had never been made to do so before, so she didn't know how?

" It really was an accident. I don't blame Akito for what happened. I think... things just got out of hand." But Marley was still very apprehensive about going back to the main house. Like her instincts kicked up every time she passed the large building.

"Mornin'" Another voice broke through, and white hair popped up behind Kureno, his hands stuffed into black ripped jeans and a black muscle tank, his custom silver jewelry on display.

" Haru! Good morning. Here for breakfast?" Marley asked as she smiled at her friend, and he nodded while also looking at Kureno, a small sense of apprehension in the teen boy's brown eyes.

"The girls are sleeping in the living room, but there's some fresh orange juice in the fridge if you'd like," Marley told him, and he nodded, but not before giving Kureno a weird look as he headed into the house.

" I know... that maybe it's not my place. But Akito holds your friendship very dear." Kureno was looking at her with such kind eyes, his words were so sincere.

Marley had trouble saying no to something like that.

" I'll make time. Maybe I'll try and stop by later."

"I'll be off then. Thank you for hearing me out." Kureno bowed his head and was about to turn around, but Marley's voice stopped him.

" Wait, why don't you come in? I'm about to get started on breakfast. " Marley invited him in.

" I don't want to impose."

" Please, the more, the merrier. I make a pretty good french toast." Marley held out her hand to the man. It was undoubtedly inviting, her bright warm smile and the open hand reaching out for him.

But Kureno couldn't stay. He could never be away from Akito for very long. She needed him, and he made a promise.

" Apologies, but I must be going."

"Oh... okay. Maybe another time." Marley smiled and wished him a good day. As he turned around the corner and disappeared, the porch door slid open, and there stood Uo, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before she yawned out a lazy 'mornin'.

.

" Good morning. How did you sleep?" Marley asked, and Uo let out a grumble about 'damn morning people.'

" I'll get started on breakfast then," Marley said as she stepped back into the house, the other two girls were starting to wake up and wished her a good morning as Marley passed through.

In the kitchen, Hatsuharu was sitting at the table sipping on a cup of orange juice, he didn't even look at her as she entered the room.

"Kureno leave?" The stoic faced boy asked, placing down the glass and staring at it.

"Yeah, I guess he had to get back to Akito. It's too bad, I wouldn't mind getting to know him. I am the year of the rooster, maybe we have something in common." Marley joked as she started rifling through all the drawers to bring out all that she would need.

" He's always been kept away from us." The Zodiac member mentioned.

"huh?"

"Akito always seems to send him away whenever we come around. I dunno, he's just different."

" Different? How so?" Marley really wasn't sure what the Cow of the Zodiac was talking about.

" It's a zodiac thing. I wouldn't be able to explain." Haru's voice got a little lower, and Marley knew that was the end of the conversation.

"Oh." Again she was the outsider who couldn't understand the inner-workings of her family.

" Your hair is different." He pointed out, but she could tell he was just trying to make conversation.

" Hana straightened it last night." Her hair was brushing the top of her thighs now that the waves and curls and been ironed out. Honestly, Marley wasn't a fan of straight hair on her. She liked it when it was wavy with random curls. But she imagined that the boy wasn't here to talk about hair.

"How are you doing?" Marley asked, changing the subject. Hatsuharu could be on the quiet side, but lately, he seemed to be... lost. And Marley could hardly blame him. The girl he loved had broken up with him, out of nowhere it seemed.

" So, you know." Hatsuharu sighed. He figured that Marley was probably the first to know... other than himself.

" I don't know what goes through her head... I can never tell what she's thinking, but. I'm still working through it." Haru admitted as his shoulders seem to slouch.

" I hope you know that if you ever need anything or just wanna talk, I'm always here. Anything at all!." Marley gave his shoulder a squeeze, and he gave her a small smile, but Marley could see that even that took a lot out of him.

"The girls are getting up, how about you relax in the living room and I'll have breakfast out in a bit." Marley rubbed his back, hoping to give just the smallest bit of comfort. Isuzu was also hurting, but she doubted it would help to tell him that.

_Plus, Zuzu would kill me if I told Haru that._

Hatsuharu made his way to the living room, and Tohru ended up helping her with breakfast. Whisking the eggs, making tamagoyaki and cutting up the strawberries and pineapple while Marley made french toast and applewood smoked bacon along with a small serving of her plant-based bacon in a smaller pan.

It was good that Marley had made so much because not to long after the girls woke up, Momiji showed up along with Kisa and Hiro. They ended up having to bring in an extra table, but everyone had a spot and enjoyed themselves. Even Haru seemed to relax a little, but he was still very quiet. But Marley was glad he was at least hanging out with them instead of stewing in his room or something.

Marley did remind the boys to be careful around Uo and Hana, but Momiji was honestly the only one she really kept an eye on.

"OH god, this is so good, Yo, Ojii-Chan, how about you adopt me and then I can eat like this every day." Uo teased, and the old man let out a scoff before putting more bacon on his plate.

"Next time Ojii-Chan! Imma beat your butt in Mario Kart, you're princess peach is going down!" Uo declared, and Marley's grandpa just smirked.

"It's too bad Yuki, and Kyo aren't here," Tohru mentioned, feeling like they were missing out on a delicious meal. Marley agreed with the girl, it would have been nice to have them here.

"Maybe next time." And maybe next time Marley could get Kureno to join in, recalling the lonely and lost energy he sometimes seemed to exude. While his smiles were very handsome, they never seemed to reach his eyes.

After breakfast, Marley walked the girls to the front gate and wished them a good day and said she would see them tomorrow. As she walked back, she noticed a familiar figure resting in a large circular window.

_Well... no time like the present_

" Hey." Marley tested, calling to Akito as if she were approaching a scared dog, shying away from human contact. Akito hid in the dark safety of the main house while Marley was bathed in the daylight, her hair almost giving a light glow off the sun's reflection.

"... what do you want." Akito looked... rough. Dark circles under eyes, and she looked paler than usual. Marley immediately felt guilty. She had pushed where she didn't belong. A big part of her heart was still disappointed with Akito for the way she spoke of Kyo's other form, but again, maybe there was hope for it all to change once Kyo won the bet and became part of the Zodiac. But right now, Marley needed to at least try and help Akito.

" Just wanted to say Hi."

Akito seemed to scoff and looked away, slightly stepping back into her room and away from the window.

"You've said your 'Hi.' Now you can go and hang out with all your friends." Akito spat.

They stood in silence, the only sound was the gentle sounds from the wind chimes now and then. Marley took a breath and decided to be the one try and break the seal.

" I know you didn't mean to hurt me." Marley decided to just get to it as she approached the window, now slightly leaning on the circular sill. She noticed Akito seemed to be shaking, and she reached in and was able to grab her hand.

The girl tensed a bit, and soon small sniffles could be heard, Akito brought her free hand to her face, hiding from Marley but she continued to hold her hand. There was so much Akito wanted to say, but she couldn't find the words. So the short-haired broken girl just cried with her back to Marley while squeezed her hand.

" Maybe... maybe next time you could join us for Saturday brunch?" Marley offered, and Akito was quiet but whispered a small maybe, before saying that she had affairs to attend to and Marley let go of her hand, wishing her a good Sunday.

The white-blonde wished they could have had more of talk, but maybe just a little at a time was what was needed. To be honest, a part of Marley still felt apprehensive about the tantrum Akito had thrown but decided that it wasn't fair to throw away a friendship over one incident.

_It had been an accident._

Marley made it back to her home and took a seat on the porch, letting out a massive sigh as she leaned back and closed her eyes. Taking in the warm breeze and the chirps of the cicada. Summer was here, and she was looking forward to wearing her new bikini.

The one that Kyo picked out.

Marley felt her face grow warm at the thought and groaned, blaming Uo and Hana for putting something like that in her head. Marley covered her face with her hands and debated with herself, deciding that the girls were just silly.

Gimli hopped up on the porch, and Marley opened her eyes to greet him... only to see something in his mouth.

"Hey Baby, what do - Aye haye! Ae ki kar ditta tu hun?!" Marley yelped at her cat like a mother scolding a child as she spotted the small sparrow in the cat's mouth and immediately ran around the trying to catch her orange and white hunter.

Maybe it was a good thing that Kureno hadn't joined for brunch, he might have been offended by Gimli's catch.

" GIMLIIII! Please!" Marley continued the chase while Dadaji and Hatsuharu watched, enjoying the entertainment as they sipped their tea.

.

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tamagoyaki – Japanese omelet
> 
> Soba – buckwheat noodles, served chilled with dipping sauce or in a hot broth. Commonly served with tempura.
> 
> Sizing in Japan – many things in Japan is one size fits all. So if you have a bit of a 'different' body type then it can be frustrating shopping. Every time I go shopping in East Asia it's a trip XD I buy lots of cute tops/sweaters but they become crop tops on me, they're still super cute but yep...it is what it is.
> 
> Devdas (2002) - Indian romantic drama. After his wealthy family prohibits him from Marrying the woman he is love with, Devdas's life spirals downward. It's REALLY good! Highly recommend.
> 
> Burlesque – type of variety show that is both provocative and comedic.
> 
> Cabrón : Spanish – meaning dumbass or bastard... I think, forgive me, my Spanish is limited and I'm trying to learn
> 
> Aye haye! Ae ki kar ditta tu hun?! Punjabi – equivalent to 'Oh my God! What have you done now', man I heard that so much as a kid XD
> 
> Ane-San: respectful term for 'older sister' and includes older females for whom one has respectful or adulatory 'big sister' feelings, commonly used in female delinquent culture.
> 
> Song: True Colors – Cyndi Lauper
> 
> ..
> 
> ..
> 
> ..Whew! Hello!
> 
> How is everyone doing?
> 
> Staying safe? Staying healthy? I hope so.
> 
> I know I've been slow with chapters, just been feeling down lately so it's hard to write.
> 
> I was hoping to reach the Hatsuharu classroom scene before the anime but darn it! They beat me to it. Oh well, maybe it'll be in the next chapter :p
> 
> A lot of stuff happening, a lot of stuff going on.
> 
> Nothing against Hana and Uo, but that swimsuit scene always drove me nuts but maybe that's because it sounds like someone dictating what's best for someone else without asking what they want and it always bothered me. And I feel like we see Tohru in a lot more whites and blues then we do pink, ANYWAY, moving on.
> 
> We learned a bit more about Marley's past back in America. Also snuck a little Kureno in there, I'm still unsure of his personality so forgive me if he seems OOC anywhere. I just don't know with him.
> 
> I hope this chapter makes your day a little more bearable. Don't forget to leave kudos and/or comment, please and thank you. Also, there are some links below if you wanna check some stuff out kind of related to the story or referred to.
> 
> shop/faithfull-chaumont-bikini-bottoms?category=swimwear&color=059&type=STANDARD&quantity=1 - the pattern of the bikini I pictured Marley in.
> 
> shop/anthropologie-veronica-triangle-bikini-top?category=swimwear&color=053&type=STANDARD&quantity=1 - and this is what I pictured for Tohru
> 
> ca/en/p/aerie/bikini-tops/scoop-bikinis/aerie-wrap-halter-bikini-top/0753_1382_683?nvid=pdp_1382_789 - Marley's bathing suit type.
> 
> https://www.aritzia.com/en/product/only-mini-slip-dress/76502.html?dwvar_76502_color=18434 - the dress Marley was wearing but with a white t-shirt underneath, it's what she's wearing in the drawing of her on my tumblr.
> 
> https://youtu.be/TzP7-liTgo4 - burlesque act, over 18+ ( this is what I pictured for Marley's mother.)
> 
> https://youtu.be/J6pBMjNJTf8 - a silk routine ( just a really nice aerial silk routine)
> 
> https://youtu.be/Jbn39j-xa-k - dance scene from Devdas ( WATCH WATCH WATCH)


	5. Come On,

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Kyo entered the classroom that was pretty empty for the most part, it was a little while before the bell, Marley wasn't even here, so it was a clear how early Kyo had gotten there. A few of his male classmates were gathered around one desk, and he just continued to his desk and put away his bag.

"Man, I think the perfect date... I'd take her to an amusement park... we'd share cotton candy, and then she would cling to me as we rode the rollercoaster." A boy with long shaggy black hair enthused,

"Nice!" The two other boys gave him a thumbs up.

"Then, we would have ice cream, and she would get a little on her nose." The first boy continued, and this made the boy with short light brown hair nod vigorously.

"ooo the ice cream is a nice touch."

"I think I would take her to a movie. She would wear something extra cute, and I would tell her how pretty she looked... I can just picture her saying... 'I wore it just for you.' in that cute accent."

"hmm or maybe... a picnic. Everything she made with love, even cutting the sandwiches in cute heart shapes and then getting embarrassed."

"Oh! What about a summer festival. Can't you just picture her in a yukata, her hair all done up?"

"Dude you're totally forgetting. The ultimate summer date... a day at the beach."

The three boys seemed to be drifting away into some sort of dreamland, and they had yet to notice Kyo judging them from his desk.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" The orange-haired teen finally dared to ask though he already felt like he wasn't going to like the answer. All three boys jumped as if they hadn't even noticed that he was there listening.

"Well, summer is almost here! The theme is fireworks, watermelons and girls!" Kyo's friends cheered, and Kyo wondered why he had friends like this in the first place.

"..."

"Were imaging the perfect date to take Marley-San on." One boy said with no shame, and the other two got panicked looks on their faces.

"DUDE! NO! He's gonna kill us!"

"What? It's not like they're dating. Are you?" The guy asked as he smirked up at Kyo, and for whatever reason, he wanted to throw him out the window.

"What kind of stupid-ass question is that? Of course, I'm not dating her!" Kyo snapped, his entire face going red as the three boys watched him.

"See? No harm in us having our summer fantasies." The shameless boy shrugged, and all the boys dropped their jaws, it was either he was

There was something in Kyo that made him feel uncomfortable. What were they doing talking about her like that? He glared at them and told them to knock it off before sitting down in his desk and glaring out the window.

His mind started to wander as his eyes caught a few yellow butterflies fluttering about. What would the perfect date look like anyway? Not that he cared or really thought about things like that. But still, his mind had started to wonder...

_Marley and Kyo sat across from one another, finishing up a meal she had made. She had made his favourite salmon dish just for him while she ate some sort of tofu dish. She was wearing a simple white apron over her orange t-shirt dress._

_"Thanks for the meal. I'll wash the dishes." Kyo offered as he got up and went to gather the dishes. Marley was quick to start pulling up her long, thick hair into a bun and offered to do them._

_"No, you relax, I'll get it." Kyo told her to sit back down and continued on and got started on the dishes._

_It didn't last long as Marley snuck into the kitchen and stood beside him at the sink._

_"Together?" Marley asked as she took a wet dish from his hand and dried it. Kyo just smiled and let Marley have her way._

_"Together."_

_"And then... why don't you pick a movie for us to watch?" Kyo suggested, feeling confident that would be what she would want to do. As expected, Marley gave an excited smile and mentioned some movie he had never heard of before, but he looked forward to whatever it was._

_Ever so slightly, Marley moved closer so that her bare shoulder was lightly touching his, Kyo looked over and noticed the blush on her cheeks as she stayed concentrated on the dishes before her eyes peeked over and met his, a slight pink blush on her cheeks._

"WHAT AM I THINKING?!" Kyo jumped up and tried to shoo away the images, not understanding where his brain went for that moment, and this caused the boys at the other table to jump and stare at him as Kyo had hit freak out.

"Why is he screaming?"

"He startled me."

"Good morning." A cheerful voice broke through the chaos, and all the boys came to a halt to turn and look at the pretty immigrant who stood in her summer uniform, her hair kept out of her face with a few cute purple barrettes that matched her eyes.

"Good morning Marley-San!" The boys who had just been having date fantasies all shot up out of their seats as she addressed them. All their faces red as if they had been caught with their hands in the cookies jar.

"Is everything okay?" Marley asked as her eyes looked over all the red faces, including Kyo's, but all their eyes were avoiding her, and she had to wonder what she had done. Marley wondered what she had interrupted.

"Just... sit down already." Kyo groaned, and Marley just shrugged but did as he said, not before sending another smile to the boys, causing them all to go even redder and all giggly. Marley just figured that everyone must be in a good mood. Well, everyone except for Kyo who kept grumbling about who knows what.

It wasn't until lunch that Kyo came out of whatever world he was in and really looked at the girl who sat in the desk in front of his.

"What's up with the hair?" He asked as he noticed the lack of curl and waves in the white blonde's hair.

"Oh, Hana straightened it Saturday night." It had taken forever, but Hana proved to be stubborn enough to straighten out all of Marley's long hair. It's been fun and different, but the girl was looking forward to washing her and having it go back to its natural state.

Kyo took a look and gently tugged on it, a slightly miffed look on his face. Marley studied his face and wondered what was wrong.

_Did he not like it?_

All of a sudden, Marley felt self-conscious as she fidgeted with the rings on her hands. While she didn't exactly love the feeling of her straight hair, she thought it looked kind of cute. It wasn't ugly on her? Was it?

"Is it stuck like this now?" Kyo asked, clearly unfamiliar with hairstyling and how it worked.

"No, it'll go back the moment I get it wet," Marley explained, and the boy gave a slight nod.

"Not a fan of straightened hair?" Marley asked, tilting her head a bit, but Kyo shrugged, pretending he didn't really care.

"It doesn't matter to me..." But Kyo tugged on the hair again and unknown to Marley, he was already missing the way the white-blonde locks would bounce.

"Oh! We finally got a destination for our class trip!" Marley remembered, hoping to change the subject and get her mind away from what Kyo thought about her hair.

"Man, I really don't wanna go." Kyo groaned, leaning back in his seat while Marley brought out her lunch.

"Aw why not?"

"It's just more time I gotta spend with that damn Yuki." The orange-haired boy complained, he thought the universe was out to get him.

"It's not like it's just you two on the trip. Our entire grade is going." Marley shook her head over the deep rivalry the two had, it really was a bit much.

"What's so great about Kyoto and Nara anyway?" Kyo scoffed, really not getting how just going to a different part of Japan could be exciting.

"Well the temples look gorgeous, and apparently the deer bow to you when you bow to them! And the bamboo forest looks like something you would see out of a movie. And there all these charming dessert cafes in Kyoto. And there's this one shrine that has a like a thousand of those red torii gates." Marley was about to go on and on about things she had heard about their destination til, and Kyo finally interrupted.

"You sound like one those damn travel agents."

"Well... Bapu actually told me a lot. He used to take trips with his mother when he was young. He really wanted to take Mama and I." Marley admitted as she subconsciously put her hand over her locket, a smile on her face as she thought of how excited her step-father had been to take her and Mama on a trip.

He wanted to take them to to a temple called Kiyomizu Dera and drink from the Otowa waterfall. There was a market where he and his mother had visited and shared a taste of everything they could find. He wanted them all to climb to the top of the Inari shrine through all the red torii gates.

There was even mention of a boat ride down the river in Arashiyama. Marley had the scrapbook full of ideas they put together, she had a lot of spare time in the hospital, and it was kind of fun piecing together all the things they could once she got out.

"Ah I'm sorry! I just meant... I've heard so many stories, and even though I'm not going with them, I'm thrilled I get to go with everyone. I can even say a prayer for them at every temple, then... It's kind of like they're with me." Kyo watched as her eyes kind of glazed over, a fleeting moment where he saw that she was still mourning over the loss. All the future things she was missing out on doing with them, the memories she wanted to create with them.

"Well I guess if I have to go... but don't expect me to be happy about it." Kyo sighed, but Marley just got a determined look in her amethyst eyes and stared Kyo down.

"I'm going to make it my mission to get you to have a good trip." She promised him, and Kyo could only roll his eyes and then rested his chin on his hand, subtly imagining what Marley would drag him into doing.

"... so you wanna see the deer, huh." Kyo figured that was something she would be excited about.

"Yes! I would love to get a selfie with one! That would make for a great picture." Marley gushed.

"Careful, one might mistake your hair for food." Kyo joked, and she actually looked a little concerned as looked at her hair and honestly wondered if the deer would try to eat her hair.

_Would they mistake it for hay or something? Do deer eat hay?_

Marley's phone went off, and she reached down to check it. Kyo watched as Marley's eyes read the text, and a massive sigh of relief left her glossed lips.

"What's up?"

"Well... Gimli caught a bird last night, and we had to take it to the vet." Marley explained as she slightly looked away and scratched her cheek, feeling guilty over her cat, who thought he was a hunter on the vast savannah.

Kyo couldn't stop the laugh that made it through his lips. He could just imagine the giant cat bringing her the 'gift' and Marley having a near heart attack as she rushed to try and save a small bird. Most likely calling Hatori first to ask him to save the bird before he drove them to the vet.

The scenario in Kyo's head was not far off from the truth.

"Stop! It wasn't funny!" Marley tried not to laugh as she pulled on Kyo's sleeve who just continued laughing at her and the bird's misfortune.

"Well I assume the bird is fine. What's gonna happen next?" Kyo asked, shaking his head at the girl's antics.

"Oh well, I was going to pick him up after dance, it'll be a week or two till it can properly fly again. But the vet is giving me a cute little birdcage and some bird feed."

"... you've already named it haven't you..." Kyo sighed, and Marley gave him a slightly guilty smile.

"Alright... let's hear it." Kyo shook his head, but he couldn't help the soft smile as Marley slightly blushed and looked to the side.

"…. Zazu..."

"And who is Zazu?" Kyo was willing to put money on that it was a character from some movie he had never seen.

"The bird from The Lion King?" Marley tried to get Kyo to recognize the name, but the boy just shrugged, and Marley's eyes went wide.

"WAIT! You haven't seen the LION KING!" She jumped up and put her hands on his desk as if he had just told her that he'd never seen the sun.

"I told you. I didn't watch the cartoon crap." Kyo defended himself, but Marley was still looking at him pity.

"Kyo, we have to! It's my favourite!" Marley grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and tugged it vigorously. Kyo wasn't sure if Marley saying something was her favourite held much weight, she seemed to have trouble picking a 'favorite' movie.

"Whatever..."

Kyo would deny it, but he was curious about what movie she was talking about, she had yet to show him anything terrible. Plus, half of the fun of watching movies with Marley is her getting excited over sharing her favourite parts with him.

She was already on a tangent about the film, and he couldn't catch a full sentence. Something about an evil uncle, a pig and a meerkat raising a lion, and he was sure she was trying to quote the movie.

"I laugh in the face of danger! Haha," She cried out, and a few people looked over, but she didn't seem to notice, a proud smile on her face.

"... you're an idiot.."

Marley only giggled, and the rest of their regular crew came over for lunch, asking about what they were talking about. This led to a conversation about favourite movies they had all watched as children. Kyo didn't really have much to add, so he just ate his lunch as he listened.

.

.

.

Even with the sun setting, the summer air was still warm, and Marley's body was still all worked up from a hard-core ballet class she had joined. And also, she was running around with her new little friend in a small white wire cage, chirping along.

Definitely gonna have to stick my feet in a bucket of ice when I get home.

Marley had to make one stop before heading home. Akito seemed to like little birds, and she wanted to show her friend her new house guest.

"Good Evening Marley-Sama." A younger maid with a bobbed hair cut bowed as Marley slipped off her white sneakers.

"Hey! How are you." Marley smiled as she walked up to the maid, who was very polite and smiled back. Nothing like that mean head maid who had her bun on too tight.

"I'm good, thank you. Are you here to see Akito-Sama?" She asked as she offered to take Marley's things, but the white-blonde insisted that she was fine.

"Just wanted to drop by and introduce my new little house guest!" Marley was already ahead of the maid and was opening the sliding door to Akito's room, not bothering to knock as she had gotten used to just walking in.

"Hey I-"

"Kureno?" Marley asked as she slightly squinted at the scene until it dawned on her what she was witnessing. Marley stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes caught sight of Akito laying under a man, their naked bodies entwined in the low lights of the large room.

"MARLEY!" Akito screamed as she tried to cover herself up, her jaw and Kureno's dropped open in shock.

"I AM SO SORRY!" Marley slammed the sliding door so hard she was sure she splintered it a bit. In her panic, she ran down a random hallway, holding the birdcage to her chest as she ran.

When she finally came to a stop, Marley took a breath and processed what she had seen.

_Akito and Kureno... I would have never guessed... I can't believe she never told me... or maybe it's new?_

Embarrassed and a little traumatized, Marley leaned against the hallway wall, and a burst of laughter left her lips, fanning her face to try and get rid of the bright red she was sure was all over her cheeks.

"Sorry little Zazu, I hope you aren't too traumatized." Marley lifted up the cage and apologized to the little sparrow who was hopping around the bottom of the cage, chirping now and then.

The look on those two's faces when she walked really had been priceless. Again she started thinking of the two and Akito's angry, embarrassed face, and Marley began laughing again.

"Well, you look like your enjoying yourself." A woman's voice called out, and Marley looked up from her crouched position and into deep dark eyes.

"Oh. Sorry! I hope I wasn't bo-bothering you." The giggly girl apologized as she tried to get her laughter under control, wiping away a few stray tears.

"Hmm. Marley, right?" The woman asked, and Marley calmed down a bit and gave a proper look at the woman who was looking at her.

Long straight dark hair that fell around her in curtains, skin as white as paper and large deep dark eyes. The woman was dressed in a long black nightgown with a deep red pashmina slipped around her shoulders. She was indeed very beautiful, but there was something off. The woman appeared to be in her 40's, and there was something eerily familiar about her.

"Um yes. Sohma Marley. It's nice to meet you." Maley gave a little bow as the woman seemed to chuckle as Marley introduced herself.

"Sohma Ren." At the mention of the name Marley finally realized who she was speaking with.

_Akito's mother... the two look so alike I can't believe I didn't see it..._

"Come. I could use a little company." She disappeared back into the room she had popped out of, her long black hair flowing behind her.

Marley looked around as if hoping someone would get her out of this. She had never heard a good thing about Akito's mother, and being alone with her made Marley a little nervous. But she didn't want to be rude.

_Maybe...this will be fine._

The teen stepped inside, and the woman was already lounging comfortably on the mat, the deep red scarf slipping off one of her shoulders.

"What is that?" Ren asked, pointing to the small bird hopping on the bottom of the cage.

"Oh, my cat brought this guy back from a hunt, I'm looking after him till he feels better..." As Marley told the story, Ren seemed to be bored, and it made Marley feel bad about even bringing it up.

_But... then again... She was the one who asked..._

"How about you pour me some sake." The woman lazily ordered, and Marley looked around and spotted the bottle of sake next to a few small cups.

Marley carefully poured one and handed it to the woman who didn't even thank her, just simply took a small sip and savoured the taste before returning her ice-cold gaze to Marley.

"How are you enjoying your life with the Sohma's?"

"I'm enjoying it very much. I feel fortunate to have a home here." Marley smiled, being very honest as she did feel undeniably grateful to be here with them, even though the circumstances that made it happen were unfortunate.

"Your hair. It's almost as beautiful as my Akira's hair." The older woman mentioned. Her eyes had caught Marley's figure before and always locked onto the way her hair shined, while before it was only the colour, but now that I was straightened, Ren could only think of her late husband. The only one who she had loved in this world and she had nothing left of him.

Marley recognized the name of Akito's father, she had seen a picture of him, and it was true her, and the late head of the Sohma clan did share a sort of similar hair colour, but that was all. Honestly, Marley was happy to remind Akito of someone she loved, even if it was something as simple as hair colour.

"His hair looked as if it been woven by the gods themselves. Soft to the touch, and it almost glimmered in the light." Ren sighed, clearly lost in her own mind as she reminisced about her late husband.

Marley knew that Akira was Akito's father, who had passed away due to disease when Akito was just a young child. She had been told he was a kind man, and she knew that Akito missed him dearly. It wasn't hard to figure out that Akira was possibly the only parent Akito truly had. The only thing that Marley knew about Ren as a parent was that she and Akito didn't get along. And that Ren had wanted Akito to be raised as a male.

_For whatever reason._

Ren reached and grabbed a chunk of Marley's hair. It wasn't the gentle touch, more like the way someone would grab onto a thing of weeds before they tugged them out.

"I have been very curious about you. You've caused quite a stir." Ren sighed as she inspected the hair, playing with it and Marley watched as Ren looked at her hair with a soft fondness, despite the stronghold.

"I'm not really sure what you mean." Marley felt extremely uncomfortable, and it felt like the room was getting smaller and smaller.

"Well first. You and your Mother dragged away one of the finest bachelors in Japan. Only to return years later, and now you are the ward to one of the most influential men of the Sohma clan. If not the most." Ren laughed as she was re-telling some great joke she had heard on a comedy special.

Yuuto had left the Sohma family behind, but that was only because that back then, they had been entirely unwelcoming to Marley and her mother, Chandra. It had been tough for her Bapu to leave his childhood home, but she felt certain that it had been his choice. Chandra never forced Yuuto to do anything he didn't want. Marley even remembers all the fights they had about it. In the end, Yuuto would have done anything for Chandra, even if it meant leaving the Sohma clan behind.

"And to the think, the only position that actually matters in this clan is being dropped down to someone who doesn't even share any Sohma blood." She sighed before taking another shot of her sake, finishing her cup and gesturing Marley to fill it up.

"Well... I mean... Dadaji might not even pass it down to me, there are many other Sohma's would be better. And Akito is still the head of the clan." The young woman slowly refilled the cup, keeping her eye on the liquid rather than the dark eyes that seemed to be analyzing her every move.

Marley felt like she had a long way to go before truly becoming part of the family. Sure, she had been officially adopted, and she loved the Sohma's, but she wanted to do something for them, give something in return for all that they have given her.

_I just have to find something I can do for them._

"Please, it's common knowledge that that child is nothing but a figurehead. It's that old grump of a man that actually runs this family. And you're his ward. This world really is full of surprises." Ren seemed to be talking down to her, her voice dropping lower as she grabbed Marley's face and inspected.

"It really is too bad. You might have actually been considered quite pretty if you had been born with a little Japanese in you." The woman teased the smell of alcohol on her breath that made Marley try to breathe through her mouth and not her nose. There were rumours about Ren, how unstable she was, and Marley didn't want to start any trouble. But her words still hurt.

Marley knew she was far from Japanese beauty standards, she was too tall, her hair was strange, and she was considered 'too dark.' Marley wished Yuuto was her real father and that she could have looked more similar to her parents. But she had no control over her genes and reminded herself to be happy with what she had given. Two parents who loved her, which made her luckier than most.

Marley now really wondered what Akito had been put through if this was her mother.

"I should really get going..." Marley tried to move away, but Ren had grabbed hold of her hair, holding it hostage.

Just at that moment, the door came open, and a maid stepped in, shocked to see Marley there.

"Marley-Sama, we were wondering where you had wandered off." The young maid who had greeted her at the door looked nervously around the room. Marley got the feeling that she definitely wasn't supposed to be here. And she was happy to get out of here.

"Oh, sorry, I got a little lost -"

"I found her talking to herself in the halls. Odd little creature." Ren chuckled as she continued to run her hands through Marley's hair, loving the way it shined in certain lights as it reminded her of the one she had loved most in this world.

"Um, yes, and Ren-San was just."

"Yes, we were just... Getting to know each other."

"Oh, but I really should be going. Thank you very much." Marley honestly wasn't sure what she was thanking Ren for when all the woman had done was insult her, but she didn't know what else to say.

"Hmmm. Fine. But perhaps one day you'll come to visit me again. They really let me have no fun." Ren let go of the lock of hair she had been holding hostage, letting it slip through her long fingers.

Marley really wasn't sure what to say. But something in herself wondered if maybe that Ren was just lonely.

"Oh! Here, Dadaji always has one of these with his sake. He says it really compliments the flavour, but I don't really get it." Marley was looking through her bag for the dessert she picked up from the convenience store. It was her favourite, but she figured that maybe Ren shouldn't be drinking on an empty stomach.

"Mitarashi danjo?" Ren asked as she glared down at the package.

"They're my favorite" Marley brightly smiled, her hair catching the light of the lamp, giving it a sort of ethereal glow.

"Marley-Sama."

"Ah sorry. Have a good evening Ren-San." Marley waved goodbye to Ren, offering a smile before being guided away.

While it was a kind gesture. It was wasted on the woman who looked down at the snack, wondering how she could use the seemingly stupid girl for her own gains.

"She fits in with the rest of those freaks..." Ren chuckled to herself, throwing the gift into the far corner, leaving it for the maids to clean later.

The maid led Marley through the house, mentioning it would be best not to mention to Akito that Marley had met Ren. The white-blonde agreed since she knew that the topic was a highly sore spot and did not want to upset anyone unnecessarily.

The young maid opened the door to Akito's apartment, and there she was, arms crossed and tapping her foot at Marley. The girl only placed the birdcage on the table and tried to think of a way to start a conversation.

"Sooo... I guess Kureno came and went?" Marley teased, winking at Akito shamelessly.

"MARLEY!" Akito scolded at her before calling her immature. The girl tried not to laugh. She really did. But she let out a giggle, and Akito's face went red as she lifted a floor pillow form the ground and threw at Marley, who didn't even bother dodging.

"You-...You and Kureno?!" Marley didn't know why she found it so funny, but she laughed into the pillow Akito had thrown at her.

"Shut it!"

The white-blonde knew it was her fault for just walking in without knocking, and she would apologize later. But she couldn't help the next thing that came out of her mouth.

"Maybe next time a sock on the door?"

Marley practically heard the crack in Akito's teeth as she grinded them, and she could feel Akito's cold glare, but honestly, it was worth it.

"That's it, I'm going to shut you up for good." Akito chased Marley around the room, who just ran ahead and laughed while the bird in the cage chirped at the two girls.

The maids opened the door to bring the girls tea and decided not to intervene in the chase, letting the two tire themselves out as they just left the tea on the table for them when they were ready.

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"Big trouble! Big trouble! We've got big trouble!" Momiji popped his head into the classroom, where his older cousins were all huddled in the back corner.

They didn't seem too concerned over his announcement, too wrapped up in their trip planning. The girls were looking through a magazine while Kyo stared out the window, his back tense, and Momiji could picture his orange cat ears up.

"We've got our own big trouble right here." Uo informed Momiji that she sat across from Hana, looking through a tour guide to the top 100 restaurants in Nara and Kyoto. Momiji tilted his head, his own problems forgotten as he became curious about what was going on.

"We were just talking about group activities for the class trip." Tohru said as the boy made his way to her side.

"Where are you going? Where? Where?" Momiji bounced over and tried to get a look at the magazine, interested in what everyone was talking about.

"It's in the fall, but we're going to Kyoto and Nara!" Tohru informed him, an excited smile on her face.

"The cliché." Uo groaned, clearly it was not her first pick.

"Yes, the cliché..." Hana echoed as she turned the page.

"Lucky! I wanna go with you!" Momiji whined, feeling left out already. He wanted to go and have fun times with his favourite people and make new memories.

"You may be able to if you pay your own way..." Hana suggested as she continued to flip through the glossy pages.

"I'll do it! I'll pay my own way!" Momiji cheered, excited at a new adventure.

"DON'T COME!" Kyo snapped as he turned around to yell at Momiji. He was already high strung enough at the moment, and he didn't want to deal with the overly-cheerful Momiji on the trip. He gave a huff before turning back around, crossing his arms.

"Aww! What are you so mad about?" Momiji asked, genuinely wondering what had him in such a mood.

"He doesn't like the way the groups are divided up." Uo smirked, enjoying Kyo's torment a bit too much as usual.

"In other words, he's with Yuki, right?" Momiji giggled. It really was too predictable why Kyo was upset.

"I'm not going along with it! Quit tryin' to stick me that damn Yuki every time! Group activities aren't even mandatory!" Kyo scoffed, he really couldn't believe his luck. It was unfair in his eyes.

"I know, but it's fun having you around." Uo said as she lightly smiled up at Kyo. The orange-haired teen raised a brow skeptically, not trusting such an earnest remark from the ex-gangster.

"I get my kicks from mocking you." She finished, and Kyo felt his mood dampen even more.

"What am I? A toy?" Kyo asked, and to his annoyance, the two girls nodded, which only infuriated Kyo more.

"Oh! For cryin' out loud! Whatever, I ain't gonna be no part of it-" Kyo grumbled but was stopped in his rant when a green folder was smacked into his face,

"KYO! YOU DUMMY!" Momiji scolded as rubbed the folder against Kyo's hair.

"YOU get to go with Marley and Tohru! Don't be so selfish!" Momiji reminded him.

"I only wish I could go! I wanna eat deer crackers-" Momiji continued on, and as the girls could only watch as the static electricity made Kyo's hair stick the folder that Momiji had been rubbing into his face.

"Those are only for the deer." Uo commented but didn't lift a finger to stop them.

"You don't wanna do that? You don't wanna do stuff together with Marley and-" Momiji didn't even get to finish his sentence when Kyo interrupted him.

"Stupid! Obviously, I-" Kyo cut him off and then looked around the room for the white-blonde he swore had just been there a few moments ago.

"... WAIT!? Where is Marley-Chan?" Momiji asked as he too noticed the missing girl, he had been too distracted by the talk of the school trip.

"She actually went to your class, mentioned she needed to ask you something. -" Hana was interrupted by the class door sliding open and in came Yuki who Momiji and Tohru happily greeted.

"Hello, Yuki-Kun. Did you have student council duties?" Tohru asked, cheerfully smiling at him, which returned and nodded.

"Momiji-Kun, weren't you saying that there was 'big trouble'?" Tohru reminded him, remembering the announcement he had made before they had dived into talking about the fall school trip.

"OH! That's right! It's terrible! Haru turned black and is rampaging in our classroom." Momiji informed with a bright smile on his face, but his eyebrows looked a little guilty, feeling bad for getting distracted.

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The class was in shambles, windows broken and toppled desks and papers littered the ground. Marley had come to return the phone charger Momiji had leant her. What she found was the class in shambles and all the students and their teacher out in the hallway.

They had told her that Hatsuharu had simply snapped, and Marley promised she would try and calm him down. She knew Haru could be a little scary when he went dark, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Marley knew he was a kind boy who was just going through heartbreak, she knew he was taking it hard, but she never imagined he would snap like this at school.

"Haru... You need to breathe. Just -" Marley spoke softly, hoping to calm him down just a little bit.

"DON'T... tell me... What to do. I'm just letting loose." He kicked over another desk, and it flew past Marley into the wall behind her. The girl took a deep breath and made the resolve to move forward.

"Haru. Please. I'm here. You can talk to me." Marley asked again, trying to keep her voice level and be confident. Marley had made it through much worse than this, she could make it through Haru getting his frustrations out.

"Yeah... Is that you wanna do?" Haru's dark eyes raked over Marley's form, liking the determined look in her eyes, and he even smirked as he walked up to her.

The boy advanced forward, moving much closer than Marley expected, and she stepped back only to be stopped by the back wall. Even with the wrong move, Haru could transform, and that would be a disaster with all the students in the hall watching.

If she was honest, all she wanted was to wrap her arms around him and squeeze him because when Marley was upset, all she wanted was to be held, but that wouldn't work. So, Marley had to try something else. All she had were her words.

_I hope it's enough..._

Marley placed a hand on his chest to keep some distance, but he grabbed it and clenched with little to no tenderness. Holding it too tightly and making her let out a wince, but that only seemed to edge him on more.

"I know you're upset... I know your hurting. But all this... this isn't going to help. Just ...we can talk, or we don't even have to talk. Let's go and get some air, it'll help you feel better." Marley was trying to think of anything, but she was coming up with nothing. She had met the darker half of Haru a few times, but this was different. Marley stood her ground and figured that if Haru had to get something out, she could at least be there for him. In all honestly, she wasn't sure what else to. It wasn't like she could just leave him like this.

"You wanna make me feel better? Then let me have my fun with you." Haru smirked, his breath mingling with Marley with how close he was getting, still mindful not to fully embrace her, but it was getting dangerous.

"Let me do whatever I want to you." Haru proposed, and he watched as Marley's eyes widened in shock.

"What?" Marley barely let out a sound, uncertain of what she was hearing.

"Come on... I'll make it fun." Haru smirked as he grabbed her chin and leaned in but Marley was shaking, her heart cracking. Frozen. She hadn't even noticed her classmates entering the room and laying their eyes onto the scene between her and Haru.

It didn't look good with Marley backed up against a wall and Haru trapping her there. The Cat of the Zodiac didn't wait for an invitation and tried to rush forward, but Yuki was quick to grab him.

"Damn rat, let me go." Kyo growled.

"We make the wrong move, and then he transforms? What do you suppose we do then?" Yuki scolded him.

"Haru, you need to calm down." Yuki tried as he also continued to keep Kyo back. He didn't like the look of the situation at all. Haru turned his head slightly to face Yuki but didn't remove himself from Marley's personal space.

"Ah worry wart princess Yuki here to save the day. Such a worry wart... Afraid I'll transform?" Haru smirked over at Yuki, but he didn't move from the position he was in with Marley. The white-blonde didn't take her eyes off of Haru though, determined to keep what little space she could between them, afraid if she made the wrong move, then all hell really would break loose.

"No. There's more to it than that. It's-" Yuki tried, but dual haired boy wasn't having any of it.

"Stupid... Stupid! Stupid! So damn stupid." Haru hit the space on the wall with his fist right by Marley's head. But she barely flinched, and this kept the boy's attention. He wondered what it would take to get something more from the girl.

"Wah, Marley's so brave. She doesn't even look frightened." Momiji told Tohru who wasn't so sure that was the case. Marley's face was neutral, but Tohru could see she was shaking ever so slightly.

"I could do it... right here... test out how far we can take it." Haru teased, tracing one hand up her neck and holding her jaw up as his eyes raked across her body, not caring how uncomfortable she was.

"Do you really think that would help?" Marley ventured, her voice was only loud enough that the white- and black-haired boy could hear. Brown eyes snapped back to hers and watched her intensely, and she continued on. Marley was trying to stay strong, but her eyes were beginning to burn with unshed tears, and her long nails were digging into her one clenched palm.

"You think that would make you feel better?" Marley challenged, staring him down, but Haru honestly liked that he saw a little bite to the usually happy-go-lucky girl. How much farther could he push?

"It couldn't hurt... they say the best way to get over someone is by getting underneath someone else, isn't that right?" Haru mused, a cocky smirk on his face as if he had said something truly profound.

"You're wrong. It would hurt. I don't believe you're the kind of person who would do that. I know you wouldn't want to hurt her like that." Marley used the freehand that she wasn't using to keep Haru away from her to squeeze his forearm, trying to bring him back to his senses just a little.

"She's the one who hurt me!" He spat at her, but Marley stood her ground. She had seen the two together. Marley knew about much Isuzu loved Haru, before she even met the boy Isuzu would go on and on about him during Marley's hospital stay. Also, going as far as to ask Marley's advice when the two first confessed to one another.

Marley had seen the ins and outs of their relationship, and yet she was as lost as Haru was when it came to the abrupt break-up. Isuzu would barely talk about it, the only reason that Marley knew about it was because Isuzu had cried her heart out to Marley in the hospital till she fell asleep as Marley comforted her.

She reminded herself that this was Haru just hurting, and maybe he just needed to let it out a bit. The heart can only take so much. The angry teen was not liking the reaction he was getting, he wanted something more, but Hatsuharu wasn't sure what he wanted. He just wanted to lash out and make someone hurt like he was.

"You wanna make me feel better, fine. Give. Me. You. That's what you do, right? So hungry for love that you let people use you?" Haru's words felt like daggers of ice into her heart. Marley's eyes widened as he spat those words, her eyes started to burn. Terrible mistakes coming back to haunt her.

_How would Haru know that?_

"... maybe your right though, what would I want with someone whose already been used." Haru chuckled, but even as he said it, his nose barely brushing against hers as she continued to use her hand to push against his chest.

The look on Marley's face was enough, even though he couldn't hear what they were saying, something in Kyo snapped, and he quickly forced his way out of Yuki grasp and leapt forward.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" Kyo screamed as he threw a punch, and Haru was sent flying to the other side of the classroom. Kyo stood in front of Marley's still frozen form as if to shield her just in case Haru tried anything else.

"Hey are you-?" Kyo couldn't finish his question as he looked behind him, and both Momiji and Tohru were by Marley's side, watching her with worried eyes. Marley was standing there staring at the ground, her mouth was slightly open, and her eyes glazed over, and her face seemed a bit pale.

"I don't know what the hell you're so pissed about... but you keep Marley out of it." Kyo's orange eyes were glaring at Haru as he stood protectively in front of Marley, so Haru wasn't even able to lay eyes on her. A part of Haru knew he had gone too far. But he was too caught up in his dark self to see it.

He would rather push the envelope even more.

"You done acting tough pussy-cat?" Haru taunted as he got back up and readied himself for a brawl.

"Who's actin' cow-boy?" Kyo sneered, ready to give it his all.

"You, of course, showin' off in front of her! Why don't you try and break my neck then?! If you're so tough!" Haru goaded Kyo on.

"I'll do you one better, brat... How about I break every bone in your body?" Kyo grabbed Haru by the collar of his shirt, making sure to be anything but gentle, and Haru returned the gesture, excited to go all out.

Tohru wanted to step in, but honestly, the way Marley was so silent had become more of her main concern, the girl was still looking at the floor, not even paying attention to the fight happening in front of her.

It was like Marley had wholly checked out.

"That's enough, you morons." The fight was only put to an end when 2-D's homeroom teacher, Mayu-Sensei, dumped a bucket of water on them.

"Some teacher you are... why'd I get splashed too." Kyo groaned as he tried to shake off the cold water

"Because you were just as eager to throw a punch as he was." She explained, glaring at the two students.

"Ahhh... I feel much better." Haru had returned to his soft self.

"Do you? Glad to help. In exchange, come with me to the staff room." Mayu-Sensei pointed him towards the door before turning to check on her student.

"Marley-San? Are you hurt?" The concerned Sensei asked, and it took a few snaps of her fingers to get Marley to even respond.

"Huh? Oh um... No, I'm fine." Marley was saying she was fine, but she was shaking her head, and Mayu let out a sigh.

"Honda-San, why don't you walk her to the nurse's office." She ordered.

"Really I'm fine." Marley tried to wave it off, but the teacher gave a look that was not be messed with.

"Go."

It hardly left any room for an argument, and Tohru nodded, both her and Momiji taking Marley by the hand and leading her away to the nurse's office.

Haru caught a glance and looked like he wanted to reach out and say something, but it was Kyo's glare that kept him away, as well as Mayu-Sensei, who was leading him away in the opposite direction.

Everyone waited outside the nurse's office, Marley insisted she was fine, but the nurse thought maybe she should lie down for a bit. As she lay there, her mind was racing with what had just transpired. The words that had been said. And where they might have come from. Because there was only one way that Hatsuharu knew so much about her past.

Her friends waited in the hall outside the nurse's office, wondering what had happened to Haru to make him snap like that and what had been said to make Marley go so quiet.

"What happened to make Haru blackout for real... Momiji?" Yuki asked as he leaned back against the wall.

".. well, I wasn't watching him the whole time..." Momiji confessed, so he really didn't know what had happened.

"He seemed normal to me... But maybe something's happened recently? How do I put it...? He hasn't been himself lately.." Momiji pondered, he also had noticed it seemed like Haru and Marley have been speaking quietly amongst themselves lately, but Momiji had figured it was nothing.

It had made Momiji feel a little left out, but he hadn't worried much about it before. But after today... maybe something more had happened.

Speak of the devil. Hatsuharu was coming down the hall, head down and hands stuffed into his pants pockets.

"Haru, was she mad?" Momiji asked, hoping he wasn't in too much trouble.

"Mmhmm, she called my Mom too. I'm supposed to wait 'til she gets here..." Haru sighed, but he honestly didn't look too stressed about that. Haru's soft brown eyes looked at the door to the nurse's office as if he was debating going in.

Momiji made the decision for him.

"Marley-Chan's just resting right now." Momiji insisted as he stepped in front of Haru, killing any chance of him walking into the room.

"Ah... well... Knowing my Mom, what with putting on makeup and everything, she won't be here for another hour or so... Guess I'm gonna kill some time 'til then." Haru mumbled but not before looking at the infirmary door, a regretful look on his face.

"Well... see ya." And with that Haru walked away, Kyo just huffed, glaring at him as he left.

"Do you think it's okay to leave him alone?" Momiji wanted to go, but he also didn't want to leave Marley.

"I'll go." Yuki was already walking off in the direction Haru had gone.

"Sorry Honda-San, would you mind going home alone?" Yuki apologized to the girl.

"Oh... Yes... I suppose." But Tohru was still worried, not just for Haru, but Marley had looked absolutely shaken by what had happened. They waved goodbye to Yuki, who was already turning the corner away from them.

"Hey, you." Kyo called out to Tohru, who blankly looked up at him.

"huh?"

"Can you... take her home or whatever?" Kyo asked, unsure how to ask Tohru for the favour, but he figured that maybe Marley needed more of a gentle touch like Tohru to help with whatever had happened back there.

"Are you talking about Marley-Chan?" Tohru asked, and Kyo just nodded.

"Just... I don't know what the hell happened, but..." Kyo didn't want Marley going anywhere alone, she had looked as if she stepped into an ice bath to whatever Haru had told her.

"I'm gonna go check on her!" Momiji announced, having felt like he had waited long enough and burst into the infirmary and Marley apologized to the nurse who only commented on how cute the little blonde boy was.

"Marley-Chan. How are you feeling? Did they need to bandage anything? I can kiss it better." Momiji cheered as he bounced over to the bed she was in. Marley smiled and patted Momiji's hair, insisted there was no need for any more bandages.

The only real wound Marley had was from her own long nails, leaving small divots in her palm, which the nurse had already taken care of. Marley told Momiji that maybe a kiss on the cheek couldn't hurt, the boy smiled and laid a soft kiss to Marley's cheek, claiming it would make everything better.

Kyo and Tohru followed in, the brunette asked if she was okay and Marley insisted that she was fine.

"Oi. Next time black Haru comes out, stay away from him, okay?" Kyo told her as he glared down at her and crossed his arms.

"Eh?" Marley widened her eyes as if Kyo had said something completely unreasonable.

"He's dangerous when he gets like that." Kyo continued, already frustrated that she couldn't see it.

"No, he's not... He's just..." Marley was already defending the boy's actions, and it managed to piss Kyo off even more.

"You don't get it!" He yelled, and Marley shook her head and continued on.

"But I wouldn't want to hurt his-"

"He's the one who hurt you!"

"I'm fine, though, really!" Marley insisted, sitting up in the bed as if that made her point come across more clearly. Kyo clenched his jaw, trying to find the right words to say, but he couldn't find it him to let them out.

What right did he have? Marley and Haru had known each other longer then Kyo did, they always seemed close. Closer than Kyo liked. But seeing Hatsuharu caging Marley in like that, especially with that guy's temper... it really enraged something in Kyo, and he would have had liked to snap him in two.

"I DON'T WANT YOU NEAR THAT GUY!" Everyone looked to Momiji as he been the one to fill the small room with his loud voice, an angry look on his face. Even the nurse had jumped from her seat at her desk.

"I bet that's what Kyo wants to say." Momiji said with a big smile on his face, and the statement made Kyo go completely red, he just couldn't catch a break today.

"Momiji! You can get lost too! You don't know what I'm thinking twerp-" A hand took hold of his, and Kyo looked down at the girl sitting in the bed, her large eyes looking up at his.

"Thank you... for worrying." Marley said softly, a genuine light in her eyes and Kyo felt any rage he had moments ago, gone. Kyo reached forward and slightly tugged on a lock, watching it bounce and curl as he let go.

"... whatever...I gotta get going. Don't wanna be late to the dojo." Kyo muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't push yourself too hard." Marley smiled and let go, and Kyo nodded before he shared a quick look with Tohru. The brunette nodded, knowing what her mission was with a determined look in her eyes.

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Yuki stood by his with his cousin, who was slumped on the floor, back leaning against the wall as he tried to figure out what he was gonna say.

"Honda-San seems to be walking Marley-San home..." Yuki commented as he looked out the window and watched the two girls walk together off school grounds.

"Haru... what happened?" Yuki asked once more, returning his attention to his usually kind-hearted cousin.

"I was dumped..." Haru finally admitted, and Yuki wanted to immediately ask by who, but the white- and black-haired boy continued.

"I didn't feel anything at the time... But the days went by. I got more and more irritated. And when I thought about it today, it pissed me off and... I just snapped." Haru admitted, the feeling of shame settling in as he realized the cruel things he had brought up. Marley was only trying to be there for him, and he had pushed and pushed. As if it was some sort of sick game. His dark half could be a real bastard.

"Did Akito-" Yuki asked but was quickly interrupted by Haru.

"We'd kept our relationship secret. Marley was the only one to know, but those two tend to tell each other everything it seems." Haru explained. Marley probably knew more about Isuzu than Hatsuharu. While he would sometimes get jealous of their close relationship, he was also grateful that Isuzu had someone like Marley in her life.

It was because of their close friendship that Haru knew certain things about Marley that Isuzu had shared with him. Intimate details that he had used against her out of his anger. Deep secrets he had thrown into the face of the girl who did nothing but help those around her.

Haru knew he was gonna have to apologize to her but didn't even know where to begin.

"Although I think Sensei might have caught on." Haru mentioned, Shigure always seemed to know everything that happened in the Sohma Family.

"This is actually the first time I've told anyone... Since .. we are fellow members of the zodiac." Haru revealed as Yuki continued to listen intensely, not wanting to miss a detail.

"She got hurt... And she changed. I'd go visit her in the hospital, but she'd duck out of her room. Suddenly it was like I didn't know what she was thinking. Then she dumped me... out of the blue." Haru could remember the words she used; he would never forget them. They seemed to taunt him.

_"I don't need you anymore... I'm just sick of you."_

"And I got no idea why. No idea... but even so... I wanna see her so bad it hurts." Haru confessed as he leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling tiles. He was already picturing walking along beside her again, her hand fitting perfectly in, her rare smile that made him feel like he was weightless.

_My feelings of wanting her... are not light enough... To give up on her so easily._

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The two girls walked along the path to Shigure's home. Tohru kept peeking over at her friend, who still felt so far away, her eyes looking down at the ground as they walked. Marley let out a defeated sigh.

_I feel like I've been at the wrong places at the wrong time... I need to lock myself in a room and just stay there for a bit. Be out of everyone's way._

While Akito and her had laughed about her walking in her and Kureno, Marley still felt terrible and embarrassed. She never even told Akito about meeting her mother, worried that she would make the deceivingly sensitive girl upset.

And now Marley was sure that she had only made the Haru situation worse. Apparently, Kyo and him and gotten into a fight, but Marley couldn't even remember it, too caught up in her thoughts to realize what had happened in those few moments. Haru had said words she never imagined coming from his mouth, but one sentence was on repeat like a broken record.

"... maybe your right though, what would I want with someone whose already been used."

_What exactly did Zuzu tell him … was that how they really saw her? Would others see her that way?_

"Marley-Chan? Are you alright?" Tohru called out to her, Marley hadn't even realized she had stopped walking.

"Just... tired. Sorry I don't mean to be so out of it." Marley apologized and threw on a smile, the last thing she wanted was to make Tohru worry over her, she had caused enough trouble for the week.

"What no! Umm, what would you like for dinner?" The brunette asked as Marley looped their arms together, walking down the path together.

"Anything you make will be delicious I'm s-" Marley was interrupted by a distressful call.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

A screech ripped through the air, and both girls jumped and held onto each other, unsure of what kind of creature could make that kind of noise.

"It ripped... the bottom of my paper bag ripped open..." What looked like a woman in a beautiful green kimono was staring down at the books on the ground, their broken bag still in hand. Marley jumped into the action, completely forgetting about her problems at the moment.

"Ah I'll help!" The white-blonde was already on the ground, putting the books together, and Tohru soon jumped in.

"Me too!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I always, always do this..I can't seem to live without causing problems for everyone! I know I should be ashamed of myself for even existing on this Earth. I'm SORRY!" The stranger apologized as they repeatedly bowed their head, their long, light brown hair blocking their face.

"Hey, everything's alright. It's only a few books. It's nothing really, we all need to lend each other a hand now and then." Marley insisted as collected the books while Tohru agreed, smiling up at the stranger in the green kimono.

The kimono clad figure stopped apologizing and then really took in who had stopped to help, recognizing the accented voice and wavy white-blonde hair. They timidly called out Marley's name, making the white-blonde stop her actions and look up from her kneeling position into wide grey eyes.

"Ritsu?"

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To Be Continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, no notes today, or at least none I can think of.
> 
> Hello!
> 
> Peachie here :)
> 
> I really am sorry about the long delay and I hoped I didn't make anyone think I was abandoning this story. We still have a long ways to go and I am COMMITTED as long as the readers are in it with me XD


	6. And Stir It Up

(Warning: This chapter contains mentions of suicide)

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"This is unusual, not only am I visited by our princess Marley-Chan but the faint-hearted Ritchan as well." Shigure smiled at the two guests, and Marley softly laughed while Ritsu fidgeted nervously, looking at the tabletop instead of Shigure.

"It's good to see you again, Shigure." Marley smiled though even Shigure could tell something felt a little off, perhaps tired from school or maybe just not feeling all that.

"I-I know, I'm sorry um... I was a terrible burden upon Marley-San and Tohru-San out front." Ritsu apologized.

"Not at all, it wasn't your fault the bag broke." Marley insisted, already somewhat familiar with Ritsu's ways, not like it was a secret or anything on the Sohma Estate, plus Kagura had told her a few stories about her friend.

"I'm thrilled to meet you, Ritchan-San!" Tohru gushed as she brought in tea on a tray and served everyone before settling in herself.

"But what brings you here out of the blue?" Shigure directed his question at Ritsu, with Marley he wasn't so surprised about as she was close with the teenagers of his household.

"Wh-what? I'm- I'm sorry. Am I imposing?!" Ritsu panicked his nerves on end.

"Yep."

Marley's jaw dropped at Shigure's answer, and poor Ritsu was already trying to race away. Screaming oh how sorry he was.

"I'm kidding. Kidding, it was just a joke." Shigure teased as he held onto the sleeve of Ritsu's kimono, keeping him from running away.

"Um... perhaps we shouldn't play with Ritsu's feelings like that..." Marley thought out loud, subtly scolding Shigure without even noticing.

"Huh..." Shigure tilted his head as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Just a thought." Marley shrugged, and Shigure couldn't help be a little amused. Ritsu was able to calm down enough to sit back down and have some tea.

"You'll be going out into the world soon. So, you need to get it together." Shigure pointed out, hoping that Ritsu would take his message to heart.

"You're right... I'm sorry." Ritsu put his head back down, a look of shame on his face and Marley felt her heart go out him, wishing she could find the right words.

"So... Why did you come today?" Shigure asked, resting his chin on his fan.

"W-well actually... um... I'd heard that most of the members of the Zodiac had met Tohru-San... and my mother said I should go introduce myself too... she also mentioned Marley-San, but Tohru-San seemed less intimidating..." Ritsu admitted, and Marley felt like she had been hit by a brick.

.

"EH? I'm intimidating?" Marley's jaw dropped, and Shigure burst out laughing while the poor foreigner looked like her soul had left her body.

"NO! I'M SORRY! I didn't mean to-" Ritsu panicked, feeling awful that he had insulted someone.

"Is it my height?" Marley asked the table, and before they could answer, Marley kept asking question after question, genuinely wondering what made her intimidating.

"Or my eyes?! The kids used to say they were big like fish eyes! Am I scary?"

Shigure just watched as everyone but him panicked one way or the other, Ritsu was apologizing, and Tohru was trying to insist that there was nothing scary about Marley.

"Wait a minute. Ritsu, haven't you already met each other?" Shigure asked, making the madness stop.

"Ah, yes, at the banquet. But we didn't really get a chance to talk..." Marley tilted her head as she thought back to that night. There had been so much happening, and Akito did end up glued to Marley's side for most of the night.

"Right, Akito was sure to make sure you didn't wander far." Shigure pointed out. It was strange, Shigure was smiling at her, but Marley got the feeling that he wasn't happy about that night.

"... ah, but yes! Ritsu, I promise I'm not as scary as I appear." Marley smiled at Ritsu, hoping that they could be friends.

"No one called you scary..." Shigure pointed out.

"Ah, I almost forgot... This is just a token of my gratitude..." Ritsu turned to the pile of books he had by his side.

"What, what is it? You brought me a present?!" Shigure got excited at the idea of free stuff, like a child on Christmas.

"Yes, although they fell on the ground outside." Ritsu sighed, feeling bad over the accident.

"I was going to buy you fresh fruit, but I don't know what kind you like... so I brought you books about fruit instead..."

"..." Shigure stared down at the stack, a blank look on his face.

"What? What? I'm sorry, was I wrong?! Maybe you don't want them?" Ritsu panicked, the silence killing him.

"no-" Shigure simply put, but Marley interrupted him.

"Ah, actually! It's good that you brought books because had you dropped fruit outside, it would have possibly ruined them. It was fate that you bought books instead." Marley pointed out, looking on the bright side, and Tohru nodded her head vigorously.

"... It's alright. Please, be honest. You can tell me that I'm not worthy of visiting this house." Ritsu insisted, not wanting anyone to lie just to protect his feelings.

"That's not true." Shigure was actually pleased to add new books to his collection.

"That's right. I really wanted to meet you, Ritchan-San. So, I'm delighted and touched that you came here to meet me." Tohru insisted, giving Ritsu a determined look and reaching his heart, feeling the warmth radiating from the kind girl.

"Thank you so much..." Ritsu softly said, a sincere, gentle smile gracing his lips that made him beautiful.

"I see you still take after your mother the way you panic so easily." Shigure sighed as he fanned himself.

"Ummm... The last two zodiac members I haven't met are the horse and the rooster... so they're both male, right? Since your one of the three girls." Tohru put together, and the other three froze in their actions.

" Actuall-" Marley was about to let it slip as her best friend was actually the Horse of the Zodiac and was only going to point out that Isuzu was a girl, but Shigure interrupted her.

"Tohru-Kun! You don't have to stay in your uniform all day, do you? Why don't you change into casual clothes?"

"Ah, right. I'll be right back." Tohru got up and left, her footsteps leading up the stairs.

.

"You too, Ritchan... isn't it time to move on from long-sleeved kimonos?" Shigure suggested, and Ritsu's expression fell.

"Yes, I know... I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's what makes you comfortable, right?" Marley smiled; she really didn't see the problem, but Marley wondered if there was a deeper reason why Ritsu wore the kimonos. They were beautiful, but it seemed like such a hassle to wear. Marley had been dressed in a kimono a few times, and it took forever to get in and out of.

_Plus, I think I would die wearing one in this heat..._

"Not that I really care... but do you wear that at college too?" Shigure asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes... I'm sorry."

"... Are you saying that I shouldn't!? Shigure-Niisaaan!"

"umm, I imagine it's quite a lot of trouble to dress in a kimono for class... and I would think one would get more attention, especially since you're so beautiful." Ritsu covered his face, a blatant red blush over Marley's compliment.

"You'll be a working adult soon, ya 'know." Shigure sighed, not really enjoying Marley's input as he felt it was not helping.

"Yes, I'm sorry..."

"Don't you feel you should toughen up?"

"Y-yes, of course! I want to have more confidence in myself. And one day, I hope to be overflowing with confidence, like Aya-Niisan."

"Ah, that's impossible." Shigure shook his head.

"Why? Is it an unreachable dream?" Ritsu panicked, and Marley started giggling, trying to picture Ritsu's with Ayame's confidence just... she couldn't do it.

"Marley-San?! You too?"

"No, it's not that. Ayame is just... really in a league of his own." The girl explained as she thought of the comically confident Snake of the Zodiac.

"Yes, Aya's self-confidence is far beyond human levels." Shigure agreed with the white-blonde teen.

"But I believe in you and that you'll find your own confidence soon. It won't look like Ayame's, but it'll be as beautiful and bright as you are, I'm sure of it." Marley cheered him on, and Ritsu looked like he was ready to pass out.

"Ah, Marley-Chan, careful, you might break him." Shigure teased, and Ritsu shook his head vigorously.

"I'm sorry... I guess I'm having trouble imagining it..."

"You apologize too quickly, Ritchan." Shigure mused.

"Sorry."

"See, you did it again." The novelist sang, and Ritsu had to bite his lip to keep himself from apologizing again.

"Let's do this: As the first step to a better you, you are now banned from reflexively apologizing."

"Umm... I don't think that helps... especially if it's a reflex." Marley said softly under breath, trying to think hard about what could help the jumpy Zodiac member.

"You'll cheer on Ritchan as well, won't you, Marley-Chan?" Shigure asked, and Marley nearly jumped up and gave Ritsu a giant smile, really hoping to help in any way that she could.

"Of course, maybe we could even work on some meditation or something. It helped me a lot when I get nervous." Marley suggested.

Ritsu felt touched that he met so many kind-hearted people that wanted to help him.

"I will take on the challenge!" Ritsu proclaimed, clenching his fist, trying to seem brave.

"I'm home." A familiar voice called out.

.

"Oh, Yuki-Kun came home at the perfect time. Ritchan, time for your first test!" Shigure announced, ready to sit back and watch the show.

"But... I need to prepare myself emotionally..." Ritsu was already ready to panic, but Marley gave him a determined face and placed a hand over her heart.

"No time like the present! Just take a breath, in and out." Marley demonstrated, and Yuki appeared and peaked into the living room.

"Ritsu? What are you doing here?" Yuki asked, surprised to see the fellow Zodiac member.

"Your right! The likes of me shouldn't be here, should I?!" Ritsu yelled, waving his arms around as he panicked, and Marley leaned closer to him.

"Ritsu... breathe," Marley whispered, holding a hand to her chest and exaggerating her own breath.

"Long time no see Yuki-San, I apologize for intruding." Ritsu tried to take Marley's advice and composed himself.

"I see you haven't changed Ritsu." Yuki sighed, not sure if he was up for this headache.

"Ritchan had to work up a lot of courage to come here... so be nice, Yuki-Kun." Shigure playfully scolded.

"It's not like I was being rude...Anyway, it has been a long time. How have you been, Ritsu?" Yuki asked.

"Thank you for asking... I've been fine. It really has been a long time. You look well, Yuki-San. In fact, you look even more like your brother, Aya-niisan, now." Ritsu told him, and the air went cold, Yuki's eyes had lost any warmth, and he marched passed the group/

"Enjoy your visit here." Yuki coldly said as he passed by, and this sent Ritsu into another panic.

"What? What?! What is it? Did I say something wrong?!"

"Ah, I'm sure it's fine, Ritsu! Yuki... Um still doesn't get along all that well with Ayame. But I'm sure he knows you meant nothing by it! And you're not wrong, they really do look a lot alike. I've done the same thing." Marley admitted, it really was hard to not make the comparison.

"You have?" Ritsu asked.

"Yep. And Yuki's forgiven me... I think..." Now that Marley thought about it, she wondered if Yuki ever forgave her for the comment.

Tohru returned and was now wearing some casual clothes and welcomed Yuki home as he entered the kitchen.

"Yuki-Kun, how is Hatsuharu-San?" Tohru asked, and he seemed a little unsure.

"That's... a good question... in the end, it depends on Haru... He's struggling with a lot of things." Yuki said, thinking back on all that Haru had told him.

"Struggling?" Tohru asked, concerned about the boy but also wondering what Marley-Chan and Hatsuharu-San had spoken about.

"It'll be okay. How's Marely-San?" Yuki asked, peeking back into the living room where Marley seemed to be trying to comfort Ritsu while Shigure laughed about something.

"Oh... Um, she says she's fine... she seemed happy that Ritchan-San showed up..." Tohru looked in as well.

Was Marley struggling too?

"Well, I'm going to go change," Yuki said before disappearing, and Tohru returned to the living room.

.

"I'm home." Kyo's voice broke through the house, and Marley didn't think he would come home so quickly; he mentioned the dojo before.

"Well this is a surprise, Kyo is hardly ever home this early. Go on Ritchan, pull yourself together and try again." Shigure gave Ritsu and thumbs-up, and Marley and Tohru cheered Ritsu on.

"What's Ritsu doing here?" Kyo asked as he stepped into the living room. This alone already sent Ritsu into a panic, and Tohru tried to cheer him on.

"Ah, Kyo! What happened to training?" Marley asked, wondering what he was doing home.

"... Didn't feel like it... now, what's Ritsu doing here?" The truth was that Kyo had been halfway there, but he was feeling all fidgety and found himself turning around and heading home instead. He had already called his Shishou and let him know that he wouldn't be in today.

"I-I came to introduce myself to Tohru-San." Ritsu mentioned, trying to stay calm and Yuki came into the living room to relax.

"Um, Kyo-San, I'm glad for you," Ritsu mentioned, and Kyo titled his head, wondering what Ritsu meant by that.

"Huh?"

"You get along with Yuki-San enough now that you can live together." Ritsu smiled and just like that, in something that looked like it had been rehearsed. The Cat and the Rat of the Zodiac both got into poor Ritsu's face and yelled with vigour in perfect unison.

"WE DON'T GET ALONG!"

"I'M SO SORR-" Ritsu apology was cut off by a burst of bright laughter, and all three boys turned to see Marley laughing, holding one hand over her chest and the other waving her face as if to try and stop herself.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh... It- it's not funny... You two... it's just...Ahahahaaha" But Marley still laughed. She really couldn't understand the pure unadulterated dislike between the two, and poor Ritsu being at their wrath was just. It was gold.

_I wish I could have got that on camera... poor Ritsu._

Marley's classmates watched as she laughed, to the point of tears appearing in her eyes, and they all seemed to give a sigh of relief. At least she was laughing, and that was a good sign. Kyo and Yuki looked at each other and then out a huff, both glaring at the other before turning away.

"whew. My cheeks hurt... oh, thank you." Tohru had handed Marley a glass of water.

"I had better be on my way..." Ritsu decided, feeling that it would be better if he left before he caused any problems.

"Huh. What?" Tohru asked, wondering why the Zodiac member was so quick in their visit.

"I don't want to overstay my welcome..." Ritsu had felt he had caused enough problems and had already failed Shigure's test of making it through a conversation without saying 'sorry,' and he felt like Marley was laughing at him. It was time to go.

"You're not! Please stay, you just got here! You haven't even finished your tea." Tohru insisted.

"Yes, please stay, Ritsu!" Marley smiled; her cheeks still red from laughing so hard.

Ritsu tried to get up and leave, and Tohru pleaded, hoping that Ritsu would stay. In the 'argument,' Marley's teacup was pushed over and got on Marley's uniform, and the cup crashed to the floor and broke.

Then everything else seemed to fall apart.

.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ritsu screamed, the sound echoing off the walls, and one could probably hear him from a mile away.

"All the heinous deeds! To break tableware in someone else's home and stain another person's clothes!" Ritsu screeched

"Ah, it was actually my fault..." Marley tried to mention it, but she wasn't heard.

"What broke this time?" Shigure mumbled, wondering why his house was always the victim of shenanigans.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for being such a nuisance! I apologize! I apologize to the whole world!" Ritsu panicked as he was about to run off, but Tohru tried to stop them.

"Ritchan-San! Watch where you step!" Tohru pushed Ritsu away from some broken glass.

To save the Zodiac member, Tohru tried to hold Ritsu back, but that led to a loud pop sound going off, and the two figures fell onto Marley and green smoke filling the room.

"Huh... Why? We're both girls... but... You transformed...?" Tohru was utterly lost as she jumped back, trying to put together what had just happened.

"Ritsu! Your adorable." Marley had already picked up the Monkey and was hugging him close. Shigure tried to stifle a laugh over the scene, but a few got out, and Yuki scolded him. The monkey in her arms wanted to panic but was soothed by Marley's petting and soft cooing noises.

"Oh, Ritsu! Get off of her!" Kyo yelled

"I'm SORRY!"

"Marley-Chan is the one holding him hostage. Here, I'll take his place." Shigure opened his arms for Marley to jump into, but this only made Kyo thwack him on the head.

Tohru was still watching, trying to figure out what happened, her head spinning, and she brought her hand up to her head, which revealed blood dripping down the side of her hand.

"Tohru! Your hand!?" Marley pointed out, which caused the Ritsu to jump out of Marley's arms and run around the room, panicking.

"I'M SOOOOORRRRRRRYYYYYYYY!"

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"In short... Ritsu is a man." Yuki finally revealed as he tried to concentrate on wrapping the wound on Tohru's hand.

"But he always dressed like that... You know … like a woman." Yuki explained.

"Oh, really? I was convinced he was a woman." Tohru admitted and turned to her friend.

"Marley-Chan? Did you know?" She asked.

"Umm, kind of." Marley had slipped out of her dirty clothes, sitting in the simple white tank top and black biker shorts she wore underneath her school uniform. Marley noticed that Ritsu was a male but never really made a comment about it. Kagura mentioned that she leant Ritsu clothes when they were kids.

Marley had honestly thought it was cute and could just picture both Kagura and Ritsu as kids, having fun playing dress-up together.

Marley had also been told my Akito, who couldn't understand why Ritsu would do such a thing. Marley defended Ritsu's choices. If something as simple as putting on a kimono made him feel more comfortable, then who was Marley to object. Plus, he looked outstanding in them.

"There... I got it more or less." Yuki finished wrapping, and Marley couldn't help but smile at how gentle he had been Tohru, even using the entire bandage roll to wrap her hand.

"Thank you." The brunette thanked him, holding her bandaged hand to her chest, feeling grateful she was well taken care of.

"Ah, Tohru, we kind of match today." Marley pointed out, bringing in her own bandaged hand that didn't look like it had been wrapped up like a mummy.

"I don't know if that's anything to celebrate..." Yuki sighed, not understanding the foreigner's logic at all.

.

"But why does... Ritchan-San dress like a woman?" Tohru asked, and this is where Shigure stepped back into the living room.

"He says wearing women's clothing makes him feel secure." The adult of the house explained.

"You've noticed how timid Ritchan is, right? Well, dressing like a man makes him feel even more like a shrinking violet."

"Soo... if he dresses like a woman... It's more 'acceptable' to have a smaller presence?" Marley tried to put it all together.

_Soooo if Ritsu were to dress like a man... he imagines people want him to be more... 'manly?' but if dresses up like a girl... it's more acceptable for him to be quiet and meek._

"He's certainly a bit of a mystery.." Yuki sighed.

"Is it really so strange? We all do things to make ourselves feel comfortable in our selves or sometimes... Protect ourselves. Maybe it's a smile or a favourite sweater, maybe it's a favourite lip-gloss that makes you feel a little more confident. We're all trying to find ourselves, and sometimes that requires a bit of 'armour' as Mama used to say." Marley told them, and before anyone could comment on what she'd said, an announcement broke their train of thought.

"I'm going for a run!" Kyo yelled to the house as he passed the living room, wearing black track pants and a matching V-neck.

"Um... where is Ritchan-San?" Tohru asked, hoping that he hadn't left yet. She still wanted to talk to him.

.

"... I found him..." Kyo called, and everyone went outside to see Ritsu standing on the roof, now wearing male clothing. Looked like something he could have borrowed from Shigure.

Ritsu was standing at the edge of the roof, holding his hands in a prayer position as he stared up at the sky.

"God, Buddha... My sin can never be forgiven..." Ritsu called out to the sky.

"Oh, boy..."Shigure shook his head at the scene, very calm about the situation.

"RITSU!" Marley felt like her heart had dropped down into her stomach, and Tohru fretted right next to her.

"RICCHAN-SAN!? TH-THAT's DANGEROUS!" Tohru frantically yelled.

"When did he get up there?" Yuki asked, not as concerned as the girls.

" Tohru-San... I know that an apology isn't enough... But I'm sorry for causing such a horrible injury..."

"It's not horrible! It's just a minor cut-!"

"and Marley-Chan... I'm sorry about ruining your school uniform... to think I'm responsible for such travesties..."

"It's in the wash! It'll be just fine! It's only clothes!" Marley tried to insist, but Ritsu wasn't hearing the girl's words, he just continued on.

"I also apologize for not being able to tell you that I was really a man... I was just so embarrassed!" Ritsu cried.

"NO! Don't be!" Marley called out, and Tohru pitched in as well.

"You shouldn't be! You don't have to be ashamed of dressing like a woman!"

"You really pull it off! Had it not been for your Adam's apple, I would have never known! "The white-blonde called out, and all three boys on the ground turned to look at her.

"That's how you figured it out?" Kyo asked, raising a brow at Marley.

"Well... I knew a few drag queens, and they tend to be convincing... you learn a few things living in Vegas." Marley nervously laughed; the girl had definitely seen a lot of things. Especially when her mother had to bring her to the club, and she hung out in the dressing room.

"Ah! Why?! Why do I always... cause trouble for everyone me?!" Ritsu cried out, covering his face in his hands.

"No one is angry, so please come down!" Tohru called out.

"I cause problems for everyone!" Ritsu cried, his insecurities and low self-esteem plaguing him.

"Well, you certainly are -" Shigure was cut off by a glare from Marley, and he zipped up right away, feeling strangely intimidated by the large amethyst eyes.

"Why... was I even... Put on this Earth..." These words made Marley's heart freeze, and she tore her eyes away from Shigure and brought them back to Ritsu.

"Just having a zodiac spirit caused people enough trouble. On top of that... I was a crybaby and a coward. I was clumsy in everything I did. My parents were always apologizing because of me." Ritsu confessed, and Marley felt tears in her own eyes.

"Maybe... Maybe someone like me isn't meant to be in this world at all... But I don't even have the guts to ends it. I can't stand myself! I'm utterly useless, and yet I have the extraordinary nerve to stay alive!" Ritsu wailed while Marley actually took a step back, unnoticed by most as they were caught up in Ritsu.

_._

_"I can't- I can't do this anymore!"_

_"PLEASE! LET ME GO! I CAN'T!"_

.

"Please... You don't need to have the guts for that!" Tohru called out to Ritsu, and mostly everyone had their eyes on the Brunnett. Except for a pair of blazing orange eyes that watched Marley go quiet and a spooked look in her eyes as she took another step back.

Tohru continued to try and reach Ritsu with her words.

"Maybe we don't know right away... why we were put here. But that just...means we have to have the courage to find it. After all, we're all alive! It's because we're alive that we can cry, worry, or feel joy... There IS a reason you were put on this Earth."

Kyo reached forward and latched his hand over Marley's wrist, who jumped and looked at Kyo's concerned eyes.

"Hey... you alright?" Kyo asked softly as he looked at the scared look in Marley's eyes. The two went completely unnoticed by the others who were wrapped up in Tohru and Ritsu. All Marley could feel was the firm yet gentle grip, keeping her anchored to the earth.

"There's probably no reason someone worthless like me was born." Ritsu insisted, and Marley felt tears burn her eyes, and she used her free hand to cover her face, her own insecurities and fears leaking out.

"You're looking for that reason. Deep down, you're searching desperately searching for that reason. Looking for it on your own!" Tohru thought of her own mother, who had told her time and time again how glad she was to have had her as a daughter.

_"I can be cheerful every day because you're here, Tohru."_

_"Then... Then, I was born to meet you, Mom!"_

_"If that's true, I'm sure glad."_

"I think maybe no one is born already having a reason to be here. Because I think it might be something you need to find and decide for yourself." Tohru put her hands in a slight prayer position, not only saying the words for Ritsu but also herself.

Ritsu's foot slipped, and he slid down the roof towards the ground, causing both Marley and Tohru jumped forward as if they could race ahead and catch him, but fortunately, Ritsu latched onto the gutter, stopping his tumble.

He dangled there for a moment before pulling himself quiet gracefully and sitting on the roof.

"... I twisted my ankle..." Ritsu cried as he held his ankle, and Tohru started fretting. It was a good thing that Hatori was already on his way due to Shigure calling him earlier for Tohru's hand.

"I think my heart jumped out of my chest..." Marley sighed as she let out a massive sigh of relief.

"You really are shameless." Shigure sighed his head over Ritsu, and Marley headed back into the house.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Kyo asked, not trusting that the girl was all there today. Something was wrong.

"I was going to try and help Ritsu down?" Marley pointed up to Ritsu, who was still kneeling on the roof, gingerly holding his ankle.

"Just stay there. I'll get him." Kyo shook his head as he made his way up to a tree and then used it to get up on the roof, getting up there with the grace of a cat. He looked grumpy, but he helped Ritsu, making sure he got safely, and Marley just watched, not going inside until both boys were safely off the roof.

_This day is certainly full of unexpected turns..._

Marley still had Ritsu's words running through her head, how they broke her heart and brought her back to a dark part of her life.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Hatori showed up, and after inspected Ritsu's ankle, it turned out he was okay, which was a huge relief. He tried to look at Tohru's wound, but she insisted it was fine. Hatori had shaken his head and complained that he felt like Shigure just enjoyed keeping him busy. Kyo had enough of all the drama and finally got to go on his run.

Marley ended up helping Ritsu back into his Kimono. He insisted it was okay, but Marley wanted him to take it easy with the ankle, and the boys didn't feel all that comfortable with helping a man into women's clothes.

"Maybe I should wear Shigure's clothes..."

"Only if you want, wear what makes you comfortable, and if one day it's male clothes, I would love to go shopping with you. Of course, I love any excuse to go shopping." Marley joked, waiting for Ritsu's next instruction on how to help him with the kimono.

"This is such a beautiful kimono Ritsu, I bet you have a gorgeous collection. Oh! You would lovely in a sari!" Marley gushed; she was already picturing the Sohma in a pistachio green sari she owned that had white embroidery with gold embellishments.

"A sari?" Ritsu asked, unsure of what the excited girl was talking about.

"It's a really pretty skirt and top set from India. Kagura actually mentioned she would love to try some on, you two should both come over and we'll have fun trying a bunch on. You're a bit taller than me, but they should still fit you pretty well." Marley was honestly excited to share some of her beautiful clothes with her friends. They weren't really any opportunities to wear them here in Japan, but she did miss wearing them; they brought her comfort and reminded her of attending events with her mother.

"your too kind." Ritsu said softly as they entered the final steps of getting him back into his floral green kimono.

"No, not at all. I actually... was hoping to talk to you." Marley mentioned as she helped with the yellow ob. Marley wasn't sure how or where to start. So, she decided to just go for it. It wasn't something she was proud of, and she still beats herself up for her moment of weakness. It would always remain a part of her, and maybe it would help Ritsu, so that was enough to make Marley share.

"I...Wanted to end my life." The statement made Ritsu freeze, and he turned his gray eyes onto Marley, wondering if he had heard her right. It was such a straight to the point statement, and it came from someone who was usually so optimistic and usually seen with a smile on their face.

To the timid Zodiac Member, Marley seemed like such a confident young woman, even just by seeing her interact with the members of the Zodiac at the new year's banquet down to how she had no problem standing up to Akito. Marley seemed to command any room she walked into without fail and stood tall, spreading her laugh wherever she went.

Why would someone like that ever ask for death?

"I was stuck in the hospital, and my parents had passed away. I felt guilty for their passing. I had told myself that if I had never been born... then they would have lived better lives... they would have still been alive if I hadn't been brought into this world... I was a mistake, to begin with, and I got it into my head that... I needed to be gone." The teenager knew that she wasn't a burden in her mind, but her heart still worried that she was, and it really became worse when she got sick, and then it broke her when her parents passed away while travelling while Marley herself was stuck in a hospital bed.

The weeks following the accident that took her parents' life were a painful blur. Marley suffered multiple heart failures and had to be sedated to be kept calm. But it was when the news had truly settled had Marley's health truly began to decline.

She hadn't even been able to go to the funeral.

"I had... all these dreams... of what I wanted in life. And it felt like they had all been ripped from me, things I had looked forward too, gone. The people I wanted to make proud and share my life...gone... I was powerless and... a burden to all those around me... That's how it felt." Marley confessed as she took a seat on the floor, and Ritsu followed. The white-blonde told

"DNR?" Ritsu asked

"I guess in Japan it's actually DNAR...It stands for 'Do not attempt resuscitation'...if I had another heart failure... I wanted them to stop trying to bring me back." Marley explained, remembering talking it over with her doctor, who said that she wasn't old enough to make those decisions on her own.

"As you could imagine, that didn't go well." Marley could remember the heartbroken look in Hatori and Tetsuo's eyes when she had brought it, but she was so tired and caught up in her pain that she kept pushing for it. This led to yelling and Tetsuo being led out by the nurses, and he didn't visit for a few days.

Hatori leaned against the wall in the hall as he continued to listen to Marley and Ritsu's talk. He had come up to ask Marley something but stopped himself when he heard Marley's voice utter the word 'DNR.' He could remember it well as it was a sight that would never him. The hollow look in her eyes, the shallow breathes and how even her voice was so quiet. The Sohma's had truly felt at a loss with how to help the girl who was grieving, they weren't the warmest family around, and Hatori had failed at protecting his loved one before.

While Marley did fear a lot of things but that suffocating sensation, like her chest, was being squeezed and not being able to take in a breath. Clawing for breath with relief. It was her living nightmare. Every time it happened, she was reminded of when she was a child, and she had nearly drowned in the river by her great grandmother's house.

Every time her heart failed, she was stuck in that murky water, her chest squeezing tight and unable to breathe. Marley couldn't do it anymore, or at least that's how it felt, she wasn't even sure why she was fighting to so hard to stay alive anymore. She had even gone as far as to write goodbye letters to the few people in her life.

"I really didn't think I mattered to anyone anymore, I was so tired and in pain. There were days when I had to be hooked to a machine just to help me breathe. I was just... I couldn't do it anymore, at least that's what I felt..." Marley thought back to last spring and could remember her hospital room down to the last detail. The thin white curtains, the purple vase that had fresh flowers replaced every week. The green chair in the corner, the painting of a waterfall on the far wall and the constant rhythmic beeping of the machines around her.

_._

_Marley reached out for the main switch, it was late at night, and she had memorized all the nurse's shifts and knew that it was now or never. If Marley could somehow turn everything off, then no would notice her passing. By the time they realized... It would be too late._

_She had made her apologies to any god who was listening, but she wasn't strong enough. She couldn't. She wouldn't cause anyone any more harm._

_Marley Bakshi was done ruining the lives of the people she loved._

_Just as Marley had reached out for the wall plug, she was practically tackled back into her bed, large dark brown eyes looking down at her. Furious._

_"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?!" Isuzu roared at her, holding her down by her shoulders and Marley was too shocked. The last thing she was expecting was the black-haired girl past visiting hours. Apparently, her friend was as good as sneaking into the hospital as she was sneaking out._

_"I just -" Marley couldn't even get a word out because Isuzu was yelling at her again._

_"NO! YOU DON'T GET TOO!" The girl yelled at her, her big brown eyes glaring but filling with tears._

_"I can't- I can't do this anymore!" Marley tried to plead with her, her shaking hands trying to grip Isuzu's arms, but she was so weak._

_"PLEASE! LET ME GO! I CAN'T!" Marley begged, wishing that her friend hadn't shown up so that she could have gone through with her plan._

_"What?! You want to die!" Isuzu yelled, ignoring the rush of footsteps, it was hard for the staff to ignore the noise._

_"No!" Marley yelled; she didn't want to die, but she was in too much pain to keep going. Why was she still fighting so hard, for what? The chances of her might as well be a one in a million chance._

_"Then what?!" Isuzu asked, her blood boiling, she couldn't believe that Marley would do such a thing._

_"I can't live like this anymore!" Marley screamed, the machine connected to her heart was going off, and a nurse finally rushed in and pulled Isuzu off who had finally gone silent. Another nurse brought out an oxygen mask and tried to make Marley take deep breathes, but she was able to shove the mask away and continued talking._

_"All I've caused is- pain... For every-one around me. I've ruined their lives-and I just... I can't do it. I want you all to be- happy and not be stuck here watching me -die slowly. If I'm going to die, then let it happen already." Marley struggled to get out the words, but the room heard them, clear as day._

_Isuzu's pushed the nurse away that was keeping her away from Maley and rushed forward again, her skin felt like it was on fire and tears burned her eyes. The black-haired girl wrapped her arms around Marley, as if she let go than Marley would slip away._

_"How- how can you ever think like that? I know. - that they're gone, but they would want you to live! They loved you and—So do I! I love you!" Isuzu cried as she hid her face in Marley's neck. The stubborn, temperamental teen wasn't typically one for such sentiment, but this was different, Marley was family. Not by blood but by love. And she was in pain._

_"And I'll never forgive you if you give up..please! Please stay with me! PLEASE TRY! YOU HAVE TO!" Isuzu wailed, and Marley cried with her, returning the hug and tearfully apologizing for troubling her so. From that point forward, Marley promised to keep her head up and try her hardest to keep going._

.

"I had a friend knock some sense into me. And I promised that I would hold on." Marley smiled at the thought of her dear friend. They had shared everything; it was as if they had been together their whole lives. Isuzu was the sister that Marley never had, and Marley was so grateful to have her.

As she thought back on how much Isuzu had been there for her, Marley was sure that whatever Isuzu had shared with Haru about Marley's past wasn't told with ill intention. Marley was sure that Haru had twisted some of Isuzu's words in anger, and she would need to confront him about it. Marley wouldn't bother Isuzu with it.

It had been the heartbroken part of Haru that had most likely taken what he heard and twisted into a weapon to use. As people did when they were hurt.

"She said that just because they're not here... I was still alive. And that I was here with people who loved me. Who needed me alive as I need them." Marley fidgeted with her locket, smiling down at it before turning her gaze to Ritsu, who was listening intently to every word.

"I need to believe... That everything happens for a reason. And even though I may not know my reason right now... I want to make the most of the gift I've been given. There are dreams that I've had to give up... but that just means new dreams, and perhaps there's a person looking for me just as I am looking for them." Marley let go of the locket and moved her hands to cover her heart.

The white-blond girl felt her strong heartbeat drumming though her body, keeping her alive and able to keep moving forward. Even if it was hard sometimes.

"There are still times I feel guilty... I get … low sometimes, and I wish there had been a world where maybe that they were still here, even if it meant that I couldn't be. But I take a deep breath. Remind myself of the people I love. And I want to be here for them. I want to live for them. And for all the memories we'll make together in the future. the lives we'll live together." Marley felt so grateful and blessed to have found such a family and hoped that even though her parents were gone, she would make them proud by paying forward all the love they had given her.

"That would be nice... I wonder if someone like me... can find a reason. I hope I can find one someday..." Ritsu tried to imagine what that would feel like, to truly find a reason to keep going, to stubbornly live on.

"And I know... that someday... You'll be the person who wants to be with you the most. You are so worthy of love, Ritsu. I can see it." Marley reached forward and grasped onto Ritsu's hand, squeezing them gently, Ritsu never thought he could feel such support through such a simple touch.

"You have people who love and care for you. Kagura speaks of you, and I know she treasures your friendship and your mother... her eyes were filled with love when she mentioned you. One day... you'll be able to walk forward and walk with confidence. It's in you. And it's beautiful, I can't wait till the day that you can see it too." Marley coaxed him.

Ritsu couldn't even respond as small tears filled his eyes, and his heart felt like it was going to burst, he cursed himself for waiting so long to properly introduce himself to Marley and Tohru whose warmth was gentle yet powerful all in one.

"And I know that you... struggle with keeping calm. You know what really helps me when I get stressed out?" Marley asked, and Ritsu shook his head.

"Dance. Or... Movement in general. We could always try a bunch of stuff and find something for you to turn to. Maybe some yoga, or it could be art or listening to certain music." Marley really wanted to help Ritsu find something that worked for him. A hobby or routine that would help him keep a little grounded, and then maybe one day, he would be calm enough to not... flail as much.

Ritsu was surprised at how a girl who barely knew him was so excited over the thought of wanting to help him, genuinely wanting to take the time to find something that works for him.

.

"I bet you would be killer at yoga, especially after that move on the roof! You looked super cool when you lifted your body back up. You reminded me of an action movie star. So handsome!" Marley gushed, and this caused Ritsu to cover his face to try and cover the red.

"Come on, let's join everyone." Marley insisted as she held out a hand for Ritsu to take. Right outside the room was Hatori.

Hatori gave a rare smile, his deep purple eyes looking fondly at the girl and laid his hand on top of Marley's head. The doctor told Ritsu to give them a moment, and the Monkey of the Zodiac scurried along, leaving Hatori and Marley alone.

"I heard that Haru caused some sort of scene at school," Hatori mentioned, and Marley let out a bit of nervous giggle.

"Ah. Well. Yes, he did." She admitted as it was no use lying about that since she was sure the entire Estate would know by tomorrow. News travelled fast.

"And that you were involved," Hatori said, and Marley shifted her gaze to the floor, a slight feeling of guilt. Perhaps she had made it worse for Hatsuharu.

"Haru... he's going through a tough time, and I tried to help, but I wasn't able to. I'm sorry." The girl apologized, her head hanging low.

"If Haru went dark, there was nothing you could have done. Are you alright?" Hatori asked, and before Marley could attempt to lie, Hatori grabbed the hand that was bandaged.

"That wasn't Haru's fault...I hurt myself." Technically it was true. The wound on her hand was from Marley's own nails.

"Are you alright? We can go home if you want?" Hatori offered, and Marley shook her head.

"Just... a little tired. But I'm sure after some of Tohru's cooking, I'll be just fine." Hatori shook his head but patted Marley tenderly on the head again. While he couldn't be sure what had happened at school, he was confident that the strong-willed white-blonde would be fine.

Hatori decided to stay for dinner, and Tohru and Yuki went into the kitchen while the rest of the Sohma's sat around the table, enjoying some tea when shrill yell broke through the temporary peace and quiet.

.

"TAKOOO-SENSEI!" A shrill voice called out from a distance, and Marley and Ritsu both slightly jumped in their seats as both Hatori and Shigure remained calm.

The loud call was heard again, and Marley tilted her head, wondered what that could be.

"Taco-sensei?" Marley repeated, thinking of that word could mean. The image that came into mind was a teacher wearing a taco suit.

"Marley-Chan! Hurry! Get the door!" Shigure ordered, but the girl was still caught in the images in her head. Right now, it was a teacher wearing a taco suit, teaching a room full of tacos.

No one got up to close the porch door, and a woman came in panting and stared at the three sitting around, a beautiful woman wearing a kimono and a beautiful foreigner scantily clad in just black shorts and a white tank top.

"YOU'RE HOLED UP IN HERE WITH NOT ONE BUT TWO GIRLFRIENDS! YOU FILTHY DOG!" The woman with short grey-haired pointed an accusatory finger at Shigure who fanned himself, a cheeky smile on his face.

"... She's not completely wrong..." Hatori sighed, not disagreeing with the 'filthy dog' comment.

"No! NO, I'm a relative!" Ritsu cried, waving his hands around to deny the allegation.

"Oh, me too!" Marley put her input.

"A relative?! No way I'm not going to believe that lie!" The woman was still shrieking.

"I'm not lying!" Ritsu looked like he was about to cry.

"I guess I don't really look like a Sohma, do I?" Marley joked, fully aware of how much she stood out.

"Well... you are adopted Marley-Chan." Shigure pointed out, which made Marley take a fake gasp.

"When was someone going to tell me?" Marley tried to say in a shocked tone, and Shigure actually spat out the tea he was about to drink and then laughed.

"SENSEIIIII! SENSEIII! THE MANUSCRIPT! Do you have it?!" The woman rushed up to Shigure, who whipped out a thick stack of papers.

"Of course I do! Here."

"Where were you hiding that?" Marley asked as the manuscript seemed to come out of nowhere, but Shigure only winked at her, which caused Hatori to threaten him with neutering.

"Thank you very much! It's done!" The woman cried as she looked over the stack of papers.

"- A-And this is...?" Marley asked, thoroughly confused as to what was happening.

_And what is a Taco-Sensei?_

" Mitchan-San is Shigure-San's editor," Tohru revealed as she brought out a tray of coffee.

"What?! I apologize for not knowing you're his editor and getting in the way of your work! I'm sooo sorry!" Ritsu panicked, standing up to give a proper bow to Shigure's editor, but the sudden action caused him to bump Tohru's arm, causing her to drop the tray of coffee and... well.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as black-coffee flew from the teacups, and it splashed onto the table, staining a few pages of Shigure's manuscript.

The woman in the pixie cut let out a death cry as she looked at the damage, trying to 'rub' the coffee out, but then she let out a final screech before passing out.

"Ah, miss editor!" Marley reached out to stop the woman's head from hitting the ground, placing her carefully onto a floor pillow.

"Mitchan-San!" Tohru cried out, concerned for the passed-out woman.

.

"Nooooo!" Ritsu was ready to again go into a full panic, but a certain white-blonde was sure to stop him before he indeed went off the rails again, she didn't want him going back up to the roof.

"Ritsu!" Marley grabbed the panicked Zodiac member's hand, keeping him there.

"Look at me." Marley told him, and Ritsu found himself completely caught in Marley's large amethyst eyes.

"Breath." The white-blonde instructed him, but Ritsu was quick to try and argue.

"But I ruined-"

"Breath." She simply repeated it and took a deep breath with him, taking a large inhale and letting the air escape slowly. She did this a few times with him, and finally, he was able to take a full breath. The other Sohma's watched, afraid if they said something, they would break the calm.

"It's an accident. And we're lucky that Shigure is so talented. He'll be able to whip up those few pages, no problem." Marley smiled, and Shigure couldn't help but smirk a little bit, enjoying the small compliment.

"Feel the ground beneath you. Breathe. Everything is going to be alright." Marley encouraged Ritsu, and he did as he was told.

"..."

The others watched as Marley stood in front of Ritsu, deep breathing in and out together.

"See, now, let's get this cleaned up together." Marley smiled, and while Ritsu felt guilty about what he had done, he nodded his head and helped wipe the damage away, he even got a cold cloth for the editor who was still passed out.

It wasn't long till the editor came to and the first words out of her mouth were-

"The manuscript!"

"I'm rewriting it now." Shigure called to her from his desk, hard at work at re-writing.

"Sensei!" The woman cried, sparkles twinkling around her.

"I'll be finished in about an hour. Get some takoyaki for me, will you?" Shigure ordered his editor, who jumped up, ready to do as she was told.

"On it!" She saluted,

" Ritchan, its dark out, so you go with her." Shigure waved to the zodiac member, getting the two out of the house. It was certainly quiet with them gone. Marley watched Shigure as he worked, thoroughly impressed with how quickly he was recreating his manuscript.

"Ah Marley-Chan, that smile, it must mean you're falling for me. You must have a thing for artists like myself, no?" Shigure teased, he was lucky that at this moment, Hatori had stepped out make a phone call.

"Actually... I was just thinking... that it's too bad Bapu isn't here to read it. I'm sure he would have been very proud." Marley told him, and Shigure paused in his writing. Marley didn't know it, but Shigure really had wanted to share his books with Yuuto. He was the one who pushed him towards it.

"Ah, Marley-Chan, can you grab me some water?" Shigure called to her as he made sure his back was still to her, he didn't want anyone to see him in a vulnerable state, even just a moment. The Dog of the Zodiac used the time she took in the kitchen to shake off the wave of grief.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

Shigure happily plopped the circular savoury snack into his mouth, a childish grin on his face.

"Um, Sensei. The manuscript?" Mitchan asked, wondering where it was.

"Tohru-Kun, open wide." Shigure teased as he held up a takoyaki ball to the girl who laughed at the novelist's humour nervously.

"Sensei! Hurry up and finish it!" The woman demanded, done with being patient.

"Please, finish it up with takoyaki power!"

"Ahh, so Shigure is Tako-Sensei." Marley realized, and Yuki smiled at her from the other side of the table, it was funny at how caught up she was in the silly nickname.

Marley wondered and asked Yuki what takoyaki power was, he just let out a sigh and told her to ignore the nonsense, but Marley only laughed, thoroughly enjoying the 'nonsense' as Yuki called it.

"There's no such thing as to 'Takoyaki power." Kyo sighed as he looked through the bag that Ritsu had brought back from the takoyaki shop before grabbing some and sitting to Marley's right.

"Yeah, but it's fun picturing Shigure throwing out power beams of takoyaki balls." Marley joked while Kyo rolled his eyes as he tried not to smile.

"That's right, Sensei!"Shigure's editor tried to 'cheer' him on.

"Become a takoyaki warrior and zoom through-" Ritsu chimed in, it was as if the two were on the same wave-length. It was strange, but Marley could swear that the two came back from their walk... slightly different.

_Maybe they had become friends?_

Marley couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"Just kidding. It was a joke. I'm already done." Shigure revealed, passing the finished product to his editor.

"Sensei! Thank you so much." Tears of joy streamed down the woman's face as she held the manila envelope to her chest.

"Should you really be thanking him for doing his job." Hatori sighed, enjoying his own portion of takoyaki. It smelt delicious, but Marley sadly couldn't partake.

"Isn't that great. Mitchan-san?" Ritsu told her, happy that she had the manuscript.

" Ritchan-San, thank you very much!"

"Oh no, it was my fault, to begin with..."

"Um... If it's okay with you, will you be my friend?" The editor asked, and Marley latched onto Kyo's arm, excited to see whatever was happening in front of her.

"Huh? Are you sure you want to be my friend?" Ritsu asked as he stared down at his lap.

"Yes, please! Please teach me how to wear a kimono some time. I want to learn how to be more feminine like you, Ritchan-san." The editor pleaded.

.

"Mitchan, Mitchan. Ritchan's a boy." Shigure revealed, loving the shocked look on his editor's face, what could he say, he enjoyed all the drama.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were a girl!" The editor bowed vigorously, and Ritsu did the same.

"I'm sorry! I apologize that my clothes are confusing!"

"No, no, It's just that you're so beautiful, so I thought..."

"Beautiful? You're too kind! I'm sorry I made you need to be kind!"

"I apologize for judging based on your appearance."

Tohru looked over the scene of Ritsu and Mitsuru and then looked over to Marley and Kyo, who seemed to be conversing over something. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and Tohru couldn't help but smile.

"They're certainly 'two peas in a pod' as they say." Marley giggled, happy that Ritsu had seemed to find a new friend, someone who was just as 'energetic' as he was.

"Oi, here." Kyo passed her a tray of takoyaki, hot steam rising from the platter.

"Oh, thank you, but I can't-" Marley was ready to turn down the food, but Kyo placed it in her hands anyway.

"There's no meat in this one," Kyo explained as he turned to his own plate, poking a few holes in the doughy balls.

Unknown to Marley, Kyo had run into Ritsu and Mitsuru on his run back and learned that they were running to grab takoyaki for everyone. Kyo had told them to get a vegetarian option if they had it.

But that was a secret.

"Thank you, it smells delicious!" Marley was beaming, so excited to partake with everyone in the takoyaki.

"Are you... feeling better?" Kyo asked the girl. He had been thinking about that moment in the classroom all day. His body was filled with rage when he saw Haru caging Marley in like that, his hands were all over her and Marley had been shaking. Kyo had wished he had been able to get some good hits on the brat.

Kyo had hoped that Marley could have a calm afternoon and trusted Tohru to look after, but it seemed fate was against him and today had been wilder at Shigure's house than they usually are.

"Huh?" The girl asked, wondering what he meant. But the way his orange eyes stares her down, she figured out what he was asking. Marley wanted to say that she was fine, but she knew that he would call out her lie. Feeling her shoulders sag a bit and she let out a breath.

"I'm... I guess... Haru reminded me...I need to try and reach out and fix a mistake I made..." Marley confessed that just as she had to Ritsu to take a breath and clean up the mess, she would have to do the same.

"A mistake?" Kyo asked, but Marley had already popped a takoyaki ball in her mouth, and her entire face went red, steam practically coming out of her ears.

"IDIOT! IT's still too hot, spit it out!" Kyo scolded her, but Marley shook her head and just swallowed instead, most likely burning her esophagus as she gulped down the ball.

"... delicious..." Marley coughed, slightly embarrassed over what happened as Kyo shook his head and handed her a glass of water.

"... What am I gonna do with you." Kyo sighed, and Marley apologized again before saying it really was tasty, despite her burnt mouth.

The night continued on, and Marley finally got her school uniform back, and soon Hatori was ushering Marley out the door and into his car to head back to the estate. As Marley settled into bed, she made sure to send a few texts to Isuzu, wishing her a good sleep and would drop by with some breakfast in the morning.

Marley stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom as Gimli relaxed on her chest, purring as she scratched behind his ears. The white-blonde took a deep breath before getting out her phone once more, slightly wincing at the bright screen as she typed in a number she knew by heart and sent a simple message that carried a lot of weight.

**\+ I know that we haven't spoken in a while, but I hope you're doing well 3 +**

Maybe one day, Marley would be able to properly apologize to him.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

The July sun shined down on Kaibara High, many of the students enjoying it during their lunch hour.

"Ritchan is a lot of fun, isn't he!? Always full of energy! A powerful personality!" Momiji cheered as he, Tohru and Yuki all enjoyed lunch on the school roof.

"Yes! And he's so beautiful!" Tohru agreed, last night had ended up being lots of fun, despite all the drama.

"I could do without all that energy... huh that reminds me. Where's Haru?" Yuki asked as he didn't see his dual haired cousin around all day.

"He's off today. But don't worry. He'll be back tomorrow for sure." Momiji told him. Yuki figured Haru's freak out would at least earn him a day or two of suspension.

"But anyway... Tohru, what happened to your hand?" Momiji asked, gingerly holding Tohru's bandaged hand in his.

"It happened when Ritsu was freaking out..." Yuki sighed.

"N-no, um, I was just clumsy... but it's all right. Just a scratch." Tohru explained, not wanting anyone to worry.

"Really? For sure? You're bandaged up like a mummy! It's like a whole roll of bandages is wrapped around your hand!" Momiji inspected the work, and Yuki cringed a bit as he had been the one wrap up Tohru's cut.

"Ritchan flails around when he panics... but he's a nice guy." Momiji defended Ritsu, and Tohru agreed, remembering all the fun everyone had last night.

"How's Marley-Chan? She left for an errand early this morning, so we couldn't walk to school together." Momiji asked the classmates, and Tohru was quick to answer.

" Marley-Chan is using the break to study with a few classmates... we do have our exams before the summer break..." Tohru told him, she thought maybe that she probably should have joined, but it looked like a lot of people were already going to the girl for help with their English and didn't want to add to it.

"Let's go buy her a drink and deliver it to her!" Momiji cheered and was already off in his mission, determined to check on his friend, dragging Tohru along while Yuki stayed behind. He looked over the school campus and thought about his cousin.

Yuki wanted to know how he was doing, but doing that meant facing a fear that Yuki had been delaying for a long time.

Perhaps it was finally time to visit the Sohma Estate. Yuki would do it, only for the sake of his friend.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

A knock on Haru window made the boy pause the battle game he was holding. He put down his controller and walked over to his closed blinds, opening and met with a familiar face. Hatsuharu opened up the window and made room for Yuki to step in.

"Woah, shocking... Yuki's doppelganger... mystery." Haru watched as the boy snuck in through his bedroom window. He must have been really desperate to avoid anyone knowing he was there.

"No, it's me." Yuki shook his head, exhausted from sneaking around the Sohma Estate to make it to Haru's house.

"But... This is the Sohma compound." Haru pointed out, still shocked that the grey-haired boy had shown up.

"Yes, well. I guess it was time..." Yuki admitted, still nervously looking behind him and then closing the window.

"Peace, come one Yuki, peace sign." Haru brought out his smartphone and snapped a selfie with Yuki, throwing up a peace sign.

"Why are you doing this?!" Yuki glared at Haru as he snapped the photo.

"To celebrate your visit here after all this time... and that you did it for me." Haru shrugged before sitting back down and making sure he saved his video game. The room was strewn with magazines, snacks were on Haru's table, and the bed was not made.

It almost looked like Haru was starting summer vacation early.

"I thought you would be reflecting and repenting..." Yuki thought it was starting to look a bit like his room.

"I am reflecting and repenting."

"Anyway. I'm glad you seem well." Yuki admitted as he took a seat on the bed and smiled at Haru.

"I'm fine. But I am a little tired after gaming for five hours straight." The stoic boy sat back down on his couch, and Yuki checked out the game screen. It looked like Haru had included Yuki and Kyo in his video game party.

"Were you... Able to see Rin?" Yuki asked, to which Haru shook his head as he leaned back.

"I'm not ready... To give up just yet. I think Rin is underestimating how much I love her. I'll do whatever I can, short of breaking the law."

"Good to hear... well then, good luck." Yuki had seen that Haru was doing well and decided it was time to sneak back out.

"Actually... there is something I need to take care of before..." Haru mentioned as he looked up at Yuki.

"Which is?"

"I need to go apologize to Marley..." Haru admitted. He had been thinking about his friend, and while he was ashamed of what he had said, he needed to tell her that and apologize for hurting her.

"What... What did you say to her?" Yuki asked, truly curious about what happened between the two, but Haru was sure not to mention any sensitive details. It wasn't his to tell. At all.

"I …. I brought up something and said something I didn't mean... I only did it to hurt her...and if your able to get the strength to come here... then that gives me the strength to go see her." Haru decided, getting up from the couch and opening up his bedroom window. He doubted his mother would let him just walk out the front door without a fuss.

"Well, I should get going and let you do that." Yuki was itching to get out of here before someone spotted him.

"Come with me." Haru asked.

"I-"

"It will make me feel better." Haru was honest, he wanted some support as a part of him was afraid that Marley would be upset when he showed up, not that he would blame her.

"... fine..." Yuki did want to be there for his friend, even if it meant sneaking around the Sohma Estate.

"Come on, I know where she is," Haru said, opening up his window and sneaking out, he didn't want to deal with his parents.

.

The two made their way across the compound together, Yuki was still stressed about being spotted by the wrong people, but he was also curious.

They came to the recreational studio; the only time Yuki had even been inside was when practicing for his new year's dance, and that had been a few years ago.

"She and Kisa are working on some stuff together..."

Yuki peeked inside the window in the door, and there was Marley and Kisa dancing, almost in sync, but Kisa would stumble through the moves now and then. Marley would smile and encourage her, fixing something only if she asked.

The white-blonde had her hair in two stylish braids and was wearing short, light grey shorts with a yellow tank top, and Kisa wore black leggings and a loose light blue t-shirt.

Marley showed the young girl something, creating a sort of wave motion with her arms and then again with her whole body. There was an enthusiastic smile on her face, and Kisa nodded vigorously, a determined look in her eyes and Marley walked over to the stereo system and pressed a few buttons.

The two girls stood in the middle of the room as music played, and then the two started, both stepping forward on the same beat.

_I've been staring at the edge of the water_

_'Long as I can remember, never really knowing why_

_I wish I could be the perfect daughter_

_But I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try_

_Every turn I take, every trail I track_

_Every path I make, every road leads back_

_To the place I know, where I can not go, where I long to be_

The girls stood in front of another and Marley leaned down a bit to rest her forehead against Kisa's, swaying in the moment and then the music picked up, and the girls continued, more confident and precision in their moves. Yuki wasn't sure what the song meant, but it felt uplifting.

_See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me_

_And no one knows, how far it goes_

_If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me_

_One day I'll know, if I go there's just no telling how far I'll go_

They finished and Marley wrapped Kisa up in a hug, picking her up and swinging, both girls laughing. Kisa caught the boy's eyes and whispered in Marley's ear. The dancer put Kisa down and looked over at the boys, her laugh gone when she noticed Hatsuharu.

" Kisa, how about you get your stuff together, I'll meet you outside." Marley told her before grabbing her own bag and going out the door, telling the boys hello as she slipped on an oversized grey cardigan.

"Can we talk?" Haru asked, and Marley nodded while he led her a little away, Yuki could only watch.

"Are Onii-Chana and Onee-San fighting?" Kisa asked Yuki, her eyes looking concerned.

"No, I think it was only a little bit of a misunderstanding." Yuki smiled down at Kisa, hoping she didn't worry too much about them.

The two watched from afar as Marley and Haru talked, well it looked more like Haru was doing a lot of talking, and Marley listened. She was holding her hands in front of her, fidgeting with something as Haru spoke to her, she would nod now and then. It felt like forever passed until Haru took a deep bow, and Marley sprung forward, shaking her hands as if to stop him from bowing to her. They seemed to be finished, and the two walked over to Yuki and Kisa.

"Would you like to come over Yuki? A neighbour gave us this basket of fresh pears, and they look delicious."Marley invited, and Kisa rushed forward and grabbed Marley's hand.

"I don't know." Yuki looked around, still on the lookout for any familiar faces.

"Please, I would love it if you came by," Marley asked, and Yuki found it near impossible to say no, and so all four headed towards the inner part of the estate. The two girls leading the way while the boys followed behind.

"So, how did it go?" Yuki asked, and Haru gave him a nod, making Yuki feel that it had gone well at least.

"She said that she forgives me... Marley actually came up with an idea on how to make it up to her. Say's she was gonna take a page out Tohru's book..." Haru chuckled a bit as it was hard not to laugh at the look on Marley's face when she got the idea, it was as if she had solved some great mystery.

They were about to reach the inner part of the estate when a blur of red came running onto the path.

"NEE-CHAN!" The red blur bulldozed into Marley's legs, clenching onto her grey cardigan. Not that the blur was still Yuki could see it was a little girl no older than 5, her light brown hair in pigtails and wearing a red t-shirt and pink shorts.

"Oh! Koko, what's wrong." Marley got down and rubbed the small girls' shoulder as she cried into one hand. Without using words, the little girl showed Marley what looked like a plushie, but it appeared to be ripped.

"Oh, no! Girfy-San."Marley's amethyst's eyes widened as she took the plushie, and as she inspected it, Yuki was able to see that it was a giraffe, but the neck was hanging on by a few strings.

"The- dumb boys—said—he was-ugly! And they tried to take him—awayyyyy." The little girl cried, and Marley cooed, Kisa also spoke to the little girl, she was still timid, but she was trying to be braver, and it was easier when there was someone in need.

"Can-Can you make him better?" The little girl asked, nervous for her plushie friend.

"Of course! I'll have him all bandaged up, but he'll have to stay with me overnight. Is that okay." Marley told the little girl, and she nodded while sniffling.

"Now, give him a little kiss, I'm sure it will make him feel better." The little girl gently took the giraffe plushie back and hugged it before giving it a kiss.

"Okay, Girfy-San, be good for Nee-Chan." Little Koko told the plushie for handing him back to Marley, who held him close to her chest, promising to take good care of the safari animal.

"Don't worry, Marley-Oneechan will make him better," Kisa said softly, and the little girl sniffled, feeling a bit better.

"Now, get home safely, and I'll drop him off tomorrow," Marley promised and sent the little girl off as Marley held the giraffe plushie carefully in her arms.

"You know that child?" Yuki asked, wondering how familiar Marley was with the Sohma members who weren't the Zodiac.

"Mhhm, she's the daughter of a cook in the main kitchen," Marley explained as they walked, also examining the giraffe neck, hoping she had a close enough thread colour to make the fix less obvious.

"Will you be able to fix it?" To Yuki, the plushie seemed to be very old and had seen better days, clearly. It seemed almost silly to try and fix something that was already so broken.

"Should be easy, plus she loves this little guy, and it'll be worth seeing her happy face when I mend him up. Girfy-San just needs some tender loving care and some mending." Marley smiled, and Yuki felt his heart skip a bit.

"Alright, Marley, let's do this." and Haru started removed some pieces of jewelry and actually removed his shirt and pants, leaving him only in a few necklaces and his underwear. Completely shameless.

"What-" Yuki's jaw dropped and was about to interject, but Marley's squeal of excitement stopped him. The boy felt incredibly lost, wondering what these two were up to.

"...Now, come on." Haru opened his arms wide to Marley, who got a massive smile on her face, and she leapt forward, laughing all the way as the smoke appeared and in Haru's spot was an adorable black and white cow.

Yuki swore he could see little cartoon hearts and was reminded how happy Marley was at the farm with the cows, cooing over how cute they were.

"...I guess Onee-Chan had never seen Onii-Chan's Zodiac form." Kisa said softly to Yuki, a small smile on her face as she watched the two. Marley was practically cuddling Haru's cow face to her chest, rubbing behind his ears affectionately. Yuki rolled his eyes but decided that it was harmless enough, plus Marley looked delighted.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

The sun was finally beginning to set, but Marley is still sitting there, Haru's head in her lap in the garden, one of Marley's arms was around him to keep him in his Zodiac form. Haru's enjoying the attention and Yuki felt couldn't help but smile as the two reconciled. And maybe a small part of him was envious at the gentle care Marley was giving the Cow.

Marley and Haru weren't the only ones in the garden, Kisa was sitting next to Marley, and even Hiro showed up. Yuki had chosen to sit close by but on a large boulder in the garden rather than the ground.

"Are you ever going to let go?" Hiro asked, glaring at the scene.

"Awww Hiro, would you like a hug?" Marley wasn't even teasing, if Hiro wanted a hug, she would gladly hold him, and the young boy went red, mumbling incoherently as Kisa giggled. Yuki wondered if most days were like this around here.

"Excuse me. I'll be right back." Yuki got up and went into the house to use the washroom. This was certainly not how he imagined his afternoon going.

Marley's long hair was in two braids, and when she turned a certain way to say something to Kisa, Yuki spotted a white scar on the back of her neck, a deep contrast to her brown skin. Yuki remembered she had spoken about it once, it was during the car ride to the lake house, and she was brushing out her lengthy hair, calling it a hassle.

_._

_"Why not cut it." Asked Kyo as he looked over at the white-blond beauty._

_"I guess it's just what I'm used to.. All the women in my family had long hair, it was against their religion to cut it. Mama would have been horrified if I cut it. It was cut ONCE accidentally when I was around 8" Marley shook her head at the memory._

_"Accidently?" Piped in Shigure._

_"Well, there were these really mean kids, and I guess I got in their way, they were threatening to torture an animal with a knife." Explained Marley as she started brushing the hair on the other side of her head._

_"That's awful!" Cried Tohru, remember her own troubles with cruel kids._

_"They cut out a few chunks and ended up nicking me slightly instead." Sighed Marley as she turned her back to Tohru slightly and moved her hair so that Tohru could see a 2-inch white scar on the back of her neck, curving to the left of her neck._

_"Mama was pissed." Sighed Marley as she turned back around and moved her hair into a middle part and started working with the hair on the right side, starting at the top of head she began to braid._

_" I remember hearing about this, your family left the Estate the following day." interjected Hatori._

Marley slightly turned her head and smiled in Yuki's direction and waving, the white scare gone from his view.

.

"Ah... It's been a while since you've been here, Yuki-Kun." Tetsuo greeted, his voice startling Yuki as he hadn't noticed the elder come in.

"Tetsuo-Sama... hello." The grey-haired boy greeted the elder. It was true, it had been 10 years since the Rat of the Zodiac had been at Tetsuo's home, the elder figured maybe he had been avoiding it due to unfortunate circumstances.

"Look, you're not the only stray she ever brought home." Tetsuo grumbled as he put a few seeds for little Zazu, who was hopping around the bottom of his cage, one of his wings still bandaged up.

"I'm sure other strays have caused less trouble..." Yuki said softly, a small feeling of guilt settling in his chest.

" I'm not sure about that..." Tetsuo sighed, his house had certainly seen some things since Marley started living there, but he wouldn't change a single thing about his now very lively household.

" Does she-" Yuki was about to ask.

"Okay... enough is enough, maybe we should get started on dinner perhaps?" Tetsuo called out, having enough of his granddaughter cuddling the boy, even if he was in his zodiac form.

"Ah, yes, sorry! I was going to try and make omelet rice, I think I can figure out the trick to it..." Marley gently let go of Hatsuharu and jumped up, a determined look in her eyes. She had watched a few videos about how to properly flip the Japanese style omelet and was sure tonight would be the night she got it right.

Kisa tugged on Marley's shirt, and she leaned down to hear what she had to say.

"Can... can we watch 'Moana' after?" She shyly asked, and Marley said that it was a great idea, a perfect movie for the evening.

"And then we can show Dadaji what we worked on in the studio!" Marley cheered, and Kisa blushed as she fidgeted with her shirt.

"If... if that's okay," Kisa said, still nervous about dancing in front of others, but this was house was a safe place for her to do it, and maybe one day she could be brave enough to perform on stage.

"Of course, little one." Tetsuo patted Kisa's head, who blushed over the elder's soft touch.

"Ah, Tetsuo-Sama has turned into a softie," Haru said while still in his cow form, and Tetsuo threw him a glare.

"You're lucky I'm not in the mood for steak, boy." The elder threatened, but everyone in the house knew it was nothing but words.

Marley jumped, and Kisa followed, asking if she could help to which Marley told her she would appreciate it. Hiro asked if he could join, and Marley said she felt so happy to have two helpers in the kitchen.

Hatsuharu eventually turned back and got dressed, asking the elder if he could stay for dinner.

"Hardly ever bothered to ask before..." Tetsuo was suspicious about the boy's actions but decided that he was too tired to actually deal with it.

"Yuki-Kun, I assume you'll be staying as well." Tetsuo sighed, used to how full his home had become, it was now odd if only he and Marley were settling down for dinner. Everyone else seemed too comfortable with the intimidating elder, but Yuki still felt a little unsure.

"Ah well-" A laugh in the kitchen cut him off, and he looked passed the elder into the kitchen and Marley seemed to be laughing at something with Kisa while Hiro went red. This home was undoubtedly different from the rest of the estate. Yuki felt like he could breathe the air here, and he was sure it was because of a certain someone.

"If... that's alright." Yuki awkwardly stood there, still unsure of where his place was in this house where everyone else seemed so comfortable.

"A Yuki is having dinner at the estate... a miracle." Haru brought out his phone again and took another photo.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

The boy groaned and was still trying to figure out way out of this. He opened up his phone, and his green eyes looked at the unopened text from an overseas number, wishing him well. He had received it the other day, and it had been driving him wild.

He didn't need contact information; he had a feeling he already knew who it was.

"What the fuck Marley... why?" He threw the phone onto the unmade bed and through his head into his hands. He missed her and was pissed at all at once. But more than anything, he was mad at himself.

"Hey!" His bedroom door was slammed open, and the teenager didn't even need to look to know who it was. The loud, upbeat music his sister had been listening to now bleeding it his space.

"Have you even started packing yet? And Look at this room, it's a mess." A woman in her mid-twenties stood there, hands on her hips as she scolded the lazy teen.

"Get out! It's none of your business... why do I have to go in the first place?" He complained into his hands, slightly muffling his words, but she understood him.

"Miguel Ángel Hernández Flores... You think I'm gonna leave you here... alone... for a month? Uh, huh, no way." His sister had brought out his full name, which meant that she meant business. She had to travel to teach a few workshops for good money and do a few performances, she wasn't going to let her baby brother ruin this opportunity.

"Besides, aren't you excited to see Marley? I swear you've been such a bummer since she left-" His older sister scolded.

"Cállate!" Miguel snapped at this sister, this got him a sandal to his head.

"Look, you're coming, and that's final. I have no idea what happened between you two but considered this an opportunity." The beautiful woman fiercely glared at her stubborn brother, having enough of his attitude.

Miguel ignored his older sister, and even though he was turned away, he could sense her shaking his head.

"Look. You're coming with, whether you like it or not. Now can you at least get started on packing." And with that, the woman closed the door. The teenager pulled out his phone again, but this time opened up his photo album, his shaggy brown hair hiding his green eyes.

Marley was in full stage makeup, her white-blonde hair up in a tight bun and was still in a beautiful white and pink ballet outfit. She held a small bouquet of white roses as he wrapped an arm around her, both smiling at the camera lens. Well, Marley was smiling, he had more of a smirk on his face. It had been the last performance he had seen of her though he hadn't known that at the time.

"Just... tell me what I did wrong..." He asked the photo, wishing he could go back to a simpler time. He was afraid to see her again, fearful about how she would react.

He looked into those amethyst eyes that had always managed to make him feel safe and hoped that that hadn't changed.

.

.

( Little Bonus Scene that somehow made it in XD)

The next day at school, Kyo noticed Marley talking with Haru and Yuki, all seemed fine, but Kyo still didn't like it. Marley waved goodbye to the Sohma boys before rushing off somewhere. Kyo decided to go over, still wanting to give Haru a piece of his mind.

"You better watch yourself around her. " Kyo glared at the 1st-year boy, and Yuki let out a sigh, knowing that this wasn't going to go well at all. For anyone.

"Don't worry Kyo, I made it up by cuddling with Marley for a bit." Haru actually didn't mean anything dirty, but Kyo's jaw dropped open.

Yuki told Haru that wasn't a good idea while Kyo screamed incoherently.

"I'm sure if you asked nicely, Marley would do the same to you, she gives wonderful head massages." Haru offered, a blank stare on his face. He was really was just telling the truth, but Kyo grabbed the boy by his collar and began shaking him violently.

Marley heard that Kyo and Haru had to sit in detention that afternoon for fighting in the hall. Yuki insisted both boys were idiots and not to worry about it.

.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> Song: How Far I'll Go – Disney's Moana ( picturing Kyle Hanagami's Choreo.)
> 
> Takoyaki – ball-shaped Japanese snack, made from a wheat-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. Typically filled with octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger and green onions but there are various fillings.
> 
> DNR - A do-not-resuscitate order, also known as no code or allow natural death, is a legal order, written or oral depending on the country, indicating that a person does not want to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation if that person's heart stops beating.
> 
> Special Message:
> 
> If you are having suicidal thoughts then please do not manage it on your own, seek out a phone-line, a doctor or friend/family member. You are not alone and there are people out there who want to help. Sending out lots of love to all those who need it <3
> 
> Peachie here!
> 
> Thank you so much waiting and thank you for reading.
> 
> A LOT happened in this chapter and I'm trying not to feel the pressure from the show, their timeline is really taking me for a ride LOL but wow I can't wait to finally get to summer vacation and get these folks to the beach house.
> 
> Thank you to those who leave comments and kudos, ya'll really keep me going and keep me invested in writing this story. Which again... why did I do this to myself XD just kidding, I'm having lots of fun writing it, despite all the work.
> 
> Cheers!


	7. Little Darlin', Stir It Up

.

.

The teacher was going over English review for the class, and this was a class that Marley always zoned out for, absently drawing in her notebook.

"What the hell is that?" Kyo whispered as he leaned forward over Marley's shoulder to see what she had been doodling.

Marley adjusted the paper so he could get a better look, but he just seemed more confused.

The doodle was a black dog wearing a taco suit, and then the dog had little glasses on. Marley had even used her highlighters to colour in the taco and its toppings. Underneath the dog was written in English.

'TACO SENSEI'

"What the-" Kyo tilted his head as if that would help him see it better, but he still felt lost.

"Its... a dog... in a taco suit..." Marley wasn't even sure of her drawing, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden as Kyo inspected the doodle. She also wasn't gonna mention that Shigure was the dog, worried about embarrassing him.

Or embarrass herself.

"A tako suit? How is that a tako?" Kyo slightly scoffed, shaking his head over the drawing. It definitely didn't look like any octopus he had ever seen, more like a sandwich.

"No, not that kind of tako, like a taco, it's a type of Mexican food?" Marley tried to explain, but it only made the Zodiac member ever more confused,

"You've never had a taco? Kyo, we're going to have to fix that." The girl was simply beside herself and was now craving Mexican food from her favourite late-night taco truck back in the states.

.

_Now that I think about it... I haven't seen much Mexican cuisine here..._

.

"Ehem." The forced cough made both Marley and Kyo freeze, and they looked up to see their teacher crossing her arms as she gave the two a disappointed look.

"Are we interrupting?" Mayu-Sensei asked as she stared down at Marley, and the class giggled as Marley and Kyo both went red. Kyo looked like he was about to yell something, but the white-blonde stood up, bowed her head, genuinely embarrassed over being caught and disturbing the class.

"Sorry!" Marley chirped, and the teacher just let out a sigh and turned to address her class.

"That's it for review. Oh, and If you haven't turned in your career goal form yet... get it to me before final exams." Mayu-Sensei reminded everyone, and the class responded with a less than enthusiastic 'Hai.'

Marley was surprised that there was such a thing, she didn't remember any of her teachers back in the states so interested in their students' career goals. The white-blonde still wasn't sure what she wanted to do.

"Parent-teacher conferences are right after summer vacation. Be sure to let your parent or guardian know. That's all. Dismissed." And with that, the students got up and gathered their things for the lunch break.

_._

_I guess I'll have to let Dadaji know... hopefully it's not too much trouble_

_._

Marley wondered if the Sohma Elder had already had some sort of idea of what he would want from Marley; in all honesty, that would make things easier if she could think off of what was expected of her. To have some sort of direction because she really hadn't given it too much thought. Not in a career sense, at least.

"Kyoooon-kyon! Have you decided on your career goal yet? Maybe a cat breeder?" Marley heard the conversation, Kyo's classmates teased him again, and the white-blonde had to stifle a small giggle.

"Shut up! None of your damn business-" Kyo argued but was interrupted when a foot shot out and kicked his desk, Marley jumped a bit in her seat at the brash act.

"LUUUUUNCH! I'M STARVIN', DAMMIT!" Uo groaned as she held her stomach.

"Uotani-San, are you upset about something...?" A classmate asked as he slightly cowered backwards.

"I'M HUNGRY! WHEN I'M HUNGRY I'M IN A LOUSY MOOD!"

"But why did you kick Kyon-Kyon's desk?" A classmate asked as he inched away with his friend, slightly afraid he would be the next victim in Uotani's rage.

"'COS IT WAS AN EASY TARGET!" The irritated blonde yelled, and Marley was grateful that her desk was spared in Uo's hungry rage. But she also felt terrible for Kyo, who always seemed to Uo's target.

_._

_Poor Kyo... but it is the littlest bit entertaining_

.

"Hey... thank your lucky stars you were born a girl, delinquent... if you were a guy, you'd be dead already!"

"I did it because I was a girl, numb-nuts!" Uo argued, giving back the fighting energy, and the two were in each other face.

"Anybody want anything from the vending machine?" Marley asked as she brought out her small silk purse to make sure she had enough coins.

"Ah, can ya grab me a melon soda?" Uo asked as she and Kyo backed away from each other.

"Sure." Marley nodded, making a mental note while also wondering what a melon soda tasted like. Because she had melon bread recently and she did not think it tasted like melons.

"Go and help her, Kyon-Kyon." Uo teased, and Marley had to roll her eyes as she knew Uo was only trying to push Kyo's buttons.

"No way! Why do I gotta-" Kyo was about to argue, but amethyst eyed girl was quick to interrupt.

"That's okay, I can handle it. I meet you guys out on the grass." Marley smiled as she got out her lunch and Tohru quickly offered to take her lunch for her, so she wouldn't be too burdened. Marley promised to grab Tohru a milk tea, the two girls chatted for a moment, Tohru insisting she was fine and Marley insisting it was no trouble.

The two probably could have gone on forever, and Kyo groaned and used his hand to move Marley's head towards the door, practically dragging her along.

"Enough already..." The boy complained, and Marley let out a giggle as she swooped out of Kyo's grip and walked beside him instead, walking out the door together.

"Those two kill me." Uo crossed her arms and let out a huff.

"What do you mean, Uo-Chan?" Tohru asked as she balanced both her and Marley's bento boxes.

"How long it's taking for the two to get together." Uo wiggled her eyebrows at the group. Yuki let out a sigh and shook his head, choosing not to take part in the conversation while Tohru looked out the door the two had just left.

"Your such a romantic Arisa. Where does this come from?" Hana asked, and Uo just grinned as if she had some sort of secret before her stomach growled, reminding her of her hunger, and the ex-gangster was ready to take down another desk. Hana directed her to get her lunch so they could go outside and enjoy it.

.

..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

"Here."

"Thanks..." Kyo accepted the small milk carton from Marley, who only smiled and insisted it was no problem before turning back to the vending machine and proceeded to look for something.

"What are you doing?" Kyo asked as he watched her look through all the rows as she softly muttered to herself.

"Where is the melon soda... I've never gotten one, so I'm not sure... what I'm looking for..." Marley said, and Kyo looked as well, only to realize that it was practically in front of her. The boy let out a sigh and took the back of her head in his hand and faced it towards the green can.

"Oh! It was hiding from me." Marley laughed as she put in the needed coins and pressed the button to pick the drink. She also picked out a milk tea for Tohru, chocolate milk for herself and then one final thing.

"Coffee?" Kyo asked as Marley balanced all the drinks in her hands.

"Yeah, it's for later. I'll need the caffeine boost." Marley took a deep breath as if that would help prepare for the long day still ahead.

"Busy day?"

"Taking Kisa to ballet, and then I'm dropping in on an advanced class," Marley said the last part as if it some sort of math test and not a dance class.

"You look nervous."

"Do I? Well...All of the dancers in that class are so amazing, I feel like I'm struggling just to keep up." Marley sighed as she looked out the window as she and Kyo walked through the halls, a few students looking their way and whispering, but the two didn't even notice.

"Aren't you like... really good?" Kyo asked.

"Huh?"

"I mean... I've seen a video or whatever. You seem... like your good." Kyo rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of the few times that he'd seen Marley in action. He'd always been impressed, not that he ever told her.

"There's still a lot for me to learn. And I'm not as committed as some of the others in the class." Marley admitted. There was a time when she lived and breathed dance, but lately, she could feel herself struggling to keep up with the others, and she knew it was because she wasn't there every day like others.

"Feel like you're always at dance..." Kyo thought back to the other night when he had dropped by he felt a twinge of disappointment as Marley still wasn't home and wouldn't be till late due to some party, Momiji and Haru had been hanging out at her place. Apparently, they were 'bird sitting' for Marley since she was worried that her cat would try and break into the still injured bird's cage.

Marley tilted her head at Kyo, eyeing his pout and then let out a small giggle.

"Haru mentioned you came by. Sorry, Dadaji and I were at a charity gala." She explained, she had gotten all dolled up and introduced to many different Sohma members and business partners. It had been a long night, and honestly, Marley wished she could have been anywhere else. But she still had come fun waltzing with her grandfather.

And she had even met a Zodiac member's parent, but it had been slightly awkward, and Marley wasn't sure if she should bring it up or not.

"... whatever." Kyo who was glaring at the side, a small blush on his cheeks

It was too bad that Marley had a late night. Otherwise, she would say that Kyo could come over for dinner or something.

_._

_It really is too bad..._

.

"Are you looking forward to summer break?" Marley asked as she took in the beautiful sunshine, she was definitely looking forward to spending more time enjoying it.

"I guess." Kyo shrugged.

"Any plans?"

"Probably just training at Shishou's." He admitted, he really never had any plans for breaks. Whatever happened, happened.

"Well, if you're interested, Momiji and I were hoping to take a beach trip. You should come too!" Marley mentioned that they were still in the early planning stages, but the day beach trip turned into a week-long trip down south to one of the Sohma resorts.

_._

_Should start inviting people soon..._

.

"Count me out." Kyo immediately turned down the idea, but that hardly deterred Marley. She wanted her friends to enjoy the beach with her, the more, the merrier.

"Aww, but it'll be so much fun." Marley wanted to make fun summer memories with everyone.

"I hate the water." Kyo shot it down.

"Well, there's more to do than swimming! We can play beach volleyball or make sandcastles. We could even bury someone in the sand. Oh! We can race the waves!" Marley tried to talk up the trip, hoping something would entice the boy to come along. It was always more fun when the orange-haired boy was there.

"Race the waves?" Kyo questioned; to him, Marley was making very little sense today, but he still tried to understand none the less.

"You know? The waves come up on the sand, and you run away before you get wet." Marley was now trying to demonstrate what she was talking about while running back and forth in the hall, and Kyo just watched.

"No?"

"... Now I really don't want to go." Kyo grumbled, causing Marley let out a sigh, her lip slightly pouting as she tried to figure how to get Kyo out there, and his orange eyes studied her expression. Giving in without her really even trying.

"Oh, god. Don't make that face... I'll go, I'll go. But I won't go swimming." Kyo told her, and Marley's large eyes lit up.

"I'm so happy! It's gonna be so much fun." Marley had a bright smile on her face as she walked along, and Kyo watched her as they walked side by side, wondering if him coming really made such a difference to her.

"Yoooo! Over here." Uo called over as Marley and Kyo stepped outside. She was waving, her blonde hair up in a bun. Marley walked over and passed Uo the green can of melon soda, which she grinned and thanked her for and Tohru offered to pay for the milk tea, but Marley quickly waved her off before sitting down on the grass by Yuki and then Kyo took a seat to the free spot beside her.

"It's been too long since we've all had lunch together. Huh?" Tohru pointed out as everyone settled in on the grass and opened their lunches.

"That's true..." Hana agreed, already munching away on her lunch.

"It's been hard to find the time when we're all so busy." Yuki pointed out. It was scary to think about; they were only teenagers, but their lives were already becoming so full that it was hard to even get together at school for lunch. It made Marley think about what could happen if they didn't see each other at school.

How would it be when they left school and started to get jobs and have families, would the group still see each other now and then? Marley hoped so.

"Tohru-Kun, have you already turned in your career goal form?" Hana asked before biting into her perfectly prepared

"Yes." Tohru nodded with a bright smile, Marley felt a vibration from her pocket and pulled out her phone. It was a notification that she had been tagged in a photo.

Opening up the social media, she was met with a photo of herself, wrapped in silks in the air. It was from the small photo project Marley had done for an upperclassman, and there were a few shots to flip through.

Marley's amethyst eyes looked over the photos, letting out a small sigh. It's not that she didn't like or not like the photos. In fact, there was only one thing on her mind as her shoulders sagged the tiniest bit.

_._

_Mama would have really like these..._

.

The white-blonde shut the social media app without leaving a comment or even giving the post a 'like.' She put it away, trying to pretend that she hadn't seen it, but both grey and orange eyes had caught small sight of the photos but didn't say anything.

Instead, the three Sohma's turned their attention back to their friends who were still talking about the career goal forms.

"Hmm, yes, I know I should... but I haven't done mine yet," Hana admitted.

"Neither have I.' Career Goal'? How the hell should I know? Hey, Tohru, did you put what I figured you did?" Uo asked, and the cheery brunette nodded.

"I want to get a job... and be able to support myself." Tohru smiled softly at her lunch, feeling confident in her answer, it was the final promise.

"How about you, Marley-Chan?" Tohru asked, curios what the white blonde's ideas for the future were.

"Um, I was planning on going to college for dance... I guess it's the same..." Marley said a little off handily, clearly not all that keen on the idea anymore.

"There's still lots of time for me to decide, though, right? But in there any job in particular Tohru?" Marley shrugged, trying not to be stressed about her next step in life.

"Ah, no, I'd be happy with any job." Marley raised an eyebrow at the answer. It was true that she had no concrete plan, but she was surprised that Tohru didn't even have a specific job or a better idea.

_._

_I wonder... what could I see Tohru doing? Maybe like a kindergarten teacher or... a chef?_

.

Honestly, it was more fun to think of what her friends could do with their lives rather than her own. Less pressure.

"Yeah, but Tohru... you could always just get married?" Uo wiggled her eyebrows, and Tohru looked a little lost for words, a small blush covering her cheeks.

"Oh, no... in that case, I should go to college so I can get a better job to support her..." Hana sighed, and Uo raised an eyebrow and asked what she was going to do with Tohru.

"Umm, even if I did get married, I'm sure that will be far in the future..." Tohru shook her head, feeling a little flustered over the idea.

"What about you Marley, I'm sure that old man of yours is gonna make sure you'll be well taken care of. He'll probably interview everyone boyfriend of yours till he's satisfied." Uo teased, but she was actually checking out a particular hot head sitting next to Marley to see his reaction, but he seemed to be angrily sucking milk out of the tiny straw that the milk carton came with.

"I really would love to get married one day; I'd be fortunate to find someone." Marley smiled, a slight blush on her cheeks. Marley's life had seen so many changes in the last few years, but she still had the dream of falling in love and having a beautiful wedding. She even embarrassingly had some idea's in a scrapbook back at home.

"Wouldn't it be a kick if I got married first?!" Uo laughed, and then Kyo foolishly made an offhanded comment.

"Pfft. Nobody wants you..." This resulted in Kyo being hit over the head by Uo, and he hissed over the pain.

"... that wasn't a very nice thing to say..." Marley told him as he winced from his head as Marley asked if he was okay.

"Well, marriage aside... I have met a guy at my job who seems pretty decent." Uo revealed, and this left the girls shocked.

"Wh..what?"

"This is the first I've heard of it..." Hana even put down her chopsticks for this exciting reveal.

"What is he like?" Marley asked, eager to hear the gossip. She had yet to hear her friends speak of any romance in their lives.

"Hmmm... He kind of reminds me of Tohru." Uo pointed at the brunette, and this left everyone a little confused.

"Huh?"

"Reminds you... of me?" Tohru blinked owlishly, wondering what Uotani meant.

"Then I'd definitely like to get a look at him..." Hana nodded her head as she closed her bento box.

"I'm sure he isn't anything like your imagin' Hanajima. I didn't say he looked like her." Uo corrected.

"... Hmmm Reminds you of Tohru? I bet he's very kind and a total cutie." Marley offered up, and this caused Tohru to softly blush.

"Well... more like he's a bit of an airhead and a klutz." Uo was naming other Tohru's traits, and Marley couldn't help but giggle as she tried to envision this male version of Tohru.

Maybe Uo would introduce them to him one day.

While the girls tried to get Uo to spill more details. Two Zodiac members got lost in themselves, the burden of their curse and their futures weighing heavy on their young shoulders.

.

_..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-._

_._

_Career Goals... the path... You should take... Prospects... The future..._

_My future..._

Kyo stood at the outdoor taps outside the dojo, letting the water run as he was caught up in his mind. He had questions, but he didn't know how to bring it up as he stared at his Shishou, who was talking to a few other students.

"Yes, all right. Then I'll see you here tomorrow morning at ten." Kazuma smiled down at his young, eager students.

"Thank you, Shihan." The students bowed.

"See Kunimitsu for the rest of the instructions..." He told them, and they bowed again before running. Kazuma looked over his shoulder and caught a familiar stare.

"Hmmm? What's wrong, Kyo? Is there something you wanted to talk about?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Huh?! How did you know?!" Kyo practically jumped out of his skin, wondering how his Shishou knew so much.

"Ever since you were little, you would always stand behind me and stare every time there was something you wanted." Kazuma was picturing a young Kyo hiding behind a tree, waiting for Kazuma to be done for the day so that he would play.

"Wha...?! That's a lie! I don't have a wimpy habit like that!" Kyo denied, his face pink.

"Haha, okay, let's leave that aside for now. So? Isn't there something you want to talk about?" Kazuma asked his son, and the boy stared hard before backing down.

"... It's nothing. I'm going back inside. You hurry up and come in too, Shishou!" Kyo again denied as he stomped off, and Kazuma let out a little sigh, hoping that he would ask when he was ready.

On the other side of town, another Sohma member was having her own troubles with grappling with the future

_._

_Will I be able to do something with my life... I get this vague feeling that I need to be doing something... But I don't know what..._

_This anxiety... is suffocating_

.

The white-blonde misstepped, and I nearly collided with another dancer. The girl glared but then continued on, and Marley just sighed and tried to subtly jump back in, but she felt a firm grip on her shoulder that kept her back.

"Hey. Marley-San, everything alright?" The choreographer and instructor pulled her aside. Trying to be discrete from the other students who were continuing on with the choreography.

Takagi Himari was a strict but sympathetic teacher and put a lot of care into the studio and its students. She was shorter than Marley, but she was still intimidating, her electric blue choppy bobbed haircut giving the woman a bit of delinquent vibe.

But she was anything but a delinquent, the woman was an accomplished choreographer. Marley felt horrible for not fully taking advantage of learning from her in this class. It was frustrating because Marley loved the song choice and loved the combos being used, but she felt distant. She was standing right there but felt miles away. Her eyes travelled to the other dancers who were continuing on, wishing she could keep up.

_._

_What do you want from me? Why don't you run from me?_

_What are you wondering? What do you know?_

_Why aren't you scared of me? Why do you care for me?_

_When we all fall asleep, where do we go?_

.

"I just... I don't know." Marley admitted, crossing her arms and taking in a large breath as student and teacher talked over the music.

"You're thinking too hard, your off on every other beat. You're all over the place. That's not like you." The woman crossed her arms and stared up at Marley, a sternness in her eyes, but there was a slight warmth that only came from a concerned teacher.

"I think I'm just tired. Do you mind if I leave early?" It was an odd request on her end, but the teacher was very familiar with the hard-working girl and was sure that she wouldn't leave early to be a slacker.

"Get some rest kid, don't worry so much." Takagi-Sensei winked before ordering the class to take a quick water break.

The white-blonde snuck out, only saying goodbye to a few people as she slipped out the door and onto the sidewalk. She texted Sousuke, a Sohma family driver, that she wouldn't need a ride and would walk instead, the night was still young, and the walk might do her good, the evening air felt fresh plus it was pleasantly warm out.

Stepping through the massive main gate, Marley ran a hand through her hair. All this talk of the future made her uneasy. The exhausted girl just let out another sigh and continued on, dragging her tired body through the inner part of the estate and feeling a huge sense of relief when she finally got home.

"I'm home!" She called through the house as she turned to her parents' picture on the shelf, giving them a hello before stuffing her denim jacket into the front closet.

Marley poked her head into her grandfather's office, he seemed too hard at work, going over paperwork, and she decided to not bother him. Slipping out some of her school stuff out of her bag, she stared at the blank career form and sat at the living room table.

"What do I want to do?" The girl asked herself as she stared down at the empty form, expecting something to magically pop in her head.

"What do you think, Zazu?" Marley asked the small bird who was preening himself in his cage, safely hanging from the ceiling as to not entice Gimli.

The bird chirped as if to say 'how am I supposed to know' and returned to preening his feathers, and it gave the white-blonde an idea.

"Mhhmmm I think some proper TLC is in order, hair mask it is." Marley's hair was feeling a little on the dry side anyway, and maybe a nice coconut oil mask would do the trick. She went to the kitchen and put on the kettle before looking for the jar of coconut in the pantry.

Placing a large tablespoon of coconut oil in a bowl, Marley then popped into the microwave for a brief moment before carrying the bowl of warm oil to the upstairs bathroom.

Marley changed her clothes before she got started, slipping on a large tea shirt and comfy shorts, settling down for the evening. The teen brushed out her long hair before dipping her hand into the bowl of oil and running her fingers through her hair, taking her time to evenly coat her hair.

Once she got every bit of hair, she threw up her hair in a top knot, the sweet smell of coconut enveloping her. Popping out her contacts, she slipped back into her room to grab her glasses, and as she was about to leave her room, she spotted a thick violet book with white polka dots on it.

_._

_What do I want..._

.

2 years ago, this would have been easy. Go to college, hopefully on a scholarship, join a dance company. That's why Marley had spent hours training in ballet when she was back in the states. All her 'free' time was spent training, wanting to become better. Marley hoped that if she practiced and did well, she could earn a scholarship and, therefore, not have her parents go into debt over trying to pay. She had dreams of performing something with her Mother to share what they had in common. Marley had cherished the time her Mother spent teaching her aerial silks, but now... doing it felt...

_._

_... hollow._

.

A little over a year ago, Marley didn't think she even had much of a future to look forward to. Now she felt pressured to do the right thing with it but also wanted to fully enjoy it if she could.

_What do I want... for my future now?_

Her amethyst eyes stared at the book; her concentration only broke by the kettle's whistling sound. She slipped it out of the shelf and brought the book with her downstairs.

Marley hurried to take the kettle off the heat and poured the hot water into the large teapot. Marley felt herself be comforted by the nostalgic smell of the cinnamon and cardamom as she steeped her tea. It always felt like she was back in her great grandmothers' kitchen whenever she made chai, and as it mixed the coconut smell in her hair, Marley could just picture her Naniji in the kitchen with her.

_._

_What would she say?_

_"Follow your heart Beta, you'll always have your family to support you"_

_Are you all watching me? Can I make you proud...? what does my heart want?_

.

Her phone went off, and she looked down to see her phone light up, and Kyo's grumpy face with a sparkly cat filter popped up.

_A call from Kyo?_

"Hello? Kyo?" Marley spoke into the receiver, uncertain as to why he was calling.

"Yeah, it's me." The boy's voice felt lower than she excepted, but Marley couldn't fight the small smile that broke out on her face.

"This is odd, you never call, what's up?" Marley was used to the odd text now and then. It usually was about homework or letting her know that he got home when he left at night, but she never expected to get a call from the boy.

"What? No! Just- Forget it..." Kyo mumbled, on the other end, and Marley waited for him to say something, but he was silent, so the girl tried calling out his name.

"Kyo?"

"You gonna be up for a while?" The boy asked, Marley could hear other voices in the background but couldn't place them.

"Yeah." She still needed to have dinner and do some homework, and it was still pretty early in the evening for her.

"Okay." And with that, he hung up. Marley looked down at her phone with a perplexed look but sent a text asking if he was okay.

While her tea steeped and she waited for a reply, she decided to take a look at her scrapbook.

 **'Marley's Adventure Book'** In her Mama's handwriting was on the front along with little doodles of flowers and butterflies that her mother had drawn. Marley lovingly brushed her hand over the cover, stopping on a strange little doodle of a lion that had somehow made it in. It was Bapu's little contribution.

He had said it was supposed to be 'Shere Khan', Marley's favourite stuffed animal she had had since she was a child, but honestly, Yuuto's drawing looked more like an overly fluffy cat than a lion.

Opening the book, the first page was filled with a collage of pictures from magazines, mostly travel images.

 **'Places to see** ' and then flipping it again the first place was France.

Things like, go to the Eiffel tower and eat crepes, but there was also a picture of a quaint café. It was were Mama and Bapu had their first date, and Marley had always been curious. They had always wanted to go back to Paris and bring Marley with them. Marley now figured she would just have to make the trip alone.

Flipping another page was Japan and pictures from all over the country, including Kyoto and Nara. Marley would be able to tick that off the list this fall, which was nice.

The next page was Egypt. The pyramids, the Nile, the markets. And then there Italy, featuring marble statues and Margherita pizza. Other places included Australia and New Zealand. India was on the list as well, but more personal reasons were on the page.

Marley wanted to go back to the village she had been born in and see the farm again. She had also wanted to visit her Mother's home and be there for Chandra as she tried to reunite with her parents.

Turning the page again she was brought with the title of ' **Things to Do'**

It was things like: Go cliff jumping, bowling, visit a karaoke bar, visit Tokyo Disneyland, go to the beach. It was about 4 or 5 pages of scrapbooked activities, mostly cut-outs from magazines that Mama' borrowed' from the hospital lobby.

"Ah, open-air hot spring. I can mark that off." Marley realized as she dug out a pen and put a little checkmark to the activity along with a happy face, the hot springs trip was undoubtedly one to remember, the Sohma's certainly had a way of making things memorable.

_._

_Hopefully, we can all go again_

The book was filled with activities big and small. The list started because her mother wanted to try and give her something to look forward to.

_Things we would do... together_

Marley flipped a page again, and it was a picture of her and her mother in simple work out gear, both posing in separate aerial silks.

**-Do A Silk show together -**

_Well... there goes that plan_

There would be certain things she could do without her parents, and then other dreams would simply be impossible. She was tempted to rip out the page

There was more to the scrapbook, a little section that her parents had never seen. She had jokingly done it with Isuzu when she was in the hospital. The black-haired beauty would talk about her romance with a certain boy, and it had gotten Marley thinking of other dreams that she had.

.

The last section was actually titled **'My Future** ' In Marley's own handwriting.

The first few pages of this section were various pictures of flower arrangements, foods, different extravagant bridal lenghas, Indian desserts and other things from a typical Indian Wedding.

It was fun explaining to Isuzu all the different traditions of Indian weddings, from fashion to the food and the ceremonies. Marley teased that Isuzu would be her maid of honour and be in charge, making the unsocial girl groan.

As Marley flipped through her dream wedding collage, a voice broke through.

"Yo."

Marley let out a small scream as the voice startled her, and she slammed the book shut to turn and see Kyo standing on the porch and staring down at her, an eyebrow raised at her suspicious behaviour.

"Kyo, you surprised me." Marley felt flustered, her heart racing.

"Clearly." He teased, and Marley felt her cheeks go warm, but she only laughed and asked if he wanted some tea.

"Sure." Kyo said as he slipped off shoes and stepped into the room, making himself comfortable on the floor.

"What's up?" Marley asked as she moved to place Kyo's mug down on the table.

"Long day. Shishou really kicked our asses today in training." Kyo shrugged as he stretched out on the tatami mat.

"Is that... That Karate kid movie on your shirt?" Kyo asked as he peeped an eye open and inspected the shirt, he recognized which surprised both the teens.

"YA! I love this shirt." Marley pulled on the shirt a bit to show it off, a giant smile on her face. Kyo softly laughed, it was comical how happy she got over something so simple, and the look of her in a clearly over-sized shirt made her look so small.

"How's Kazuma doing?" It had been a while since Marley had seen Kazuma, she wondered if the man had made another attempt at cooking.

"Huh? Fine, I guess... He cut his hair short, which looks better." Kyo said as if it was no big deal, and Marley's jaw dropped.

"What! But he has such beautiful hair?! Why would he do that? What a waste!" Marley grabbed the bun on top of her head as if something was going to come out and just chop it off.

"A waste? He ain't a woman." Kyo scoffed, but even he had to admit it was a little strange to see his master without his long hair.

"I know a lot of men with long hair...but why did he cut it?" Marley asked as she wondered why he would make such a drastic change.

"Why? Just being a doting parent. That's all." Kyo shrugged it off as nothing, but even he found it hard to get used to.

While Marley had no idea what cutting off his hair had to do with being a doting parent, she smiled none the less. It was cute seeing Kyo call his Shishou 'a doting parent' and caught a small smile on his lips. The relationship between Kazuma and Kyo was precious, a true bond made from love. Marley was so happy that Kyo had a parent like Kazuma.

.

"What are you so happy about?" Kyo asked, curious about the soft smile on Marley's face.

"You and Kazuma are just very cute is all." Marley said with such sincerity in her eyes, it sent Kyo's heart into palpations because all he heard was 'cute.'

"What?!" Kyo sat up, his face red, and his cat ears practically sprang up, but Marley was just smiling, unknowing how her words held so much power.

And it only got worse for the poor Cat of the zodiac.

A growl broke through, and Kyo's face slowly turned redder as Marley looked at where it came from.

"Hungry?" Marley tried to hide her giggle but did a poor job.

"Shut uP! I'm STARVING!" Kyo yelled, and Marley started laughing, but then her stomach growled, and Kyo smirked at her.

"... I forgot to have dinner too... Would you like to stay for a late-night meal? I can cook up some mac and cheese." Marley got up and headed into the kitchen.

Kyo let out a huff and was going to lay back down but kept his eyes on Marley, who was walking around in the kitchen, getting stuff together, music softly playing from the stereo in the kitchen.

_._

_What is it you want?_

_You can lie but I know that you're not fine (oh yeah)_

_Every time you talk_

_You talk 'bout me but you swear I'm not on your mind_

_You can pretend you don't miss me (me)_

_You can pretend you don't care_

_All you wanna do is kiss me (me)_

_Oh what a shame I'm not there_

.

The boy got up off the floor and walked into the kitchen, slowly making his way to the counter where Marley was working away.

"What do you need me to do?" Kyo asked, he was standing so close he could smell this slightly sweet scent, Kyo couldn't place what it smelt like, but he liked it.

"You want to help?" The white-blonde asked as she brought out the dishes she would need for the pasta dish.

"It'll just get done faster or whatever..." Kyo washed his hands, and his eyes briefly looked over at Marley, and she felt her stomach do little flips, excited that he wanted to help her.

"I would love the help! It'll be more fun. Do you mind shredding the cheese?" Marley did a little demonstration til Kyo insisted he could do it, and the two fell into a rhythm, and Kyo would ask what she needed from him now and then.

Soon all of the noodles were in a casserole dish with the cheese sauce Marley had made, and the mixture of shredded cheese was layered on top along with bread crumbs.

"Should be ready in about 15 minutes..." Marley set the timer on the oven as Kyo rewashed his hands. Marley walked back to the sink and started filling it with hot water, placing dirty dishes inside.

The two teenagers were still thinking about their unknown futures. Both wondering what the other had in mind. Kyo kept thinking about the book he had just flipped through, and Marley's mind was brought back to the career form.

.

"Oh, so Kyo. What is your career goal? If you don't mind me asking." Marley asked as she peeked at Kyo as she handed him a clean dish for his to dry.

"I … I don't know if it's possible but... I guess if there was something." Kyo took a glance at Marley and then let out a sigh as he knew he had her full attention, her large eyes taking him in.

"Inheriting Shishou's dojo would be it." He admitted, but the look on Kyo's face kept Marley from getting excited for him. He already looked defeated, as if the rug had been ripped out from under him.

"The truth is, I wish I could, but... I'm possessed by the cat spirit, so no matter what I do. Even if it's something I really want, and Shishou agrees. If the Sohma family doesn't like it, the plan gets stopped in its tracks." Marley listened intently to him, even turning off the tap and putting down the dish she had been cleaning.

"When it comes to stuff like that, there's nothing that can stop them. Hell, someone like me would-" Kyo completely paused in his movements, his saffron eyes glaring down at his wrist.

"Nah, scratch that. It's got nothing to do with you." Kyo shut himself down, but Marley grabbed his hand, a gentle yet secure grip on his wrist that held his beads.

"Don't!" She cried; Marley never wanted to hear that again. Marley hated that tone, she hated that look in his eyes. Like it was already over before it began. If there was anything she could do to help, she would do it.

"I... I know I'm new... I know that maybe there's still a lot I need to figure out. But if there's anything I can do to help something come true for you. I can at least stand for your dreams." Marley had a determined look in her eyes, her large purple eyes looking deep into Kyo's orange eyes.

"Because... you have dreams and I would... Want you to follow them. No matter what they are..." She trailed off.

"Then what are your' dreams?'" Kyo asked, wanting to know what was on her mind while also trying to ignore the sound of his heart beating in his head. Marley's hand was still on his wrist, her fingertips barely brushing against the red and white beads.

"Hm?"

"I imagined you probably had something in mind. What is it?"

"I... I don't know, actually... I guess I just... I wish I knew. It used to be that I was training to get a scholarship to a decent school and then work hard to help out my parents, but..." Marley tried to put together a sentence, it was hard when she honestly didn't have an answer. Everything had changed, which meant she had to as well, didn't it?

She had to move forward; she knew that. But it was so much easier said than done.

"But they're not here anymore... and you're not even in America anymore." Kyo bluntly put, and Marley nodded as she felt her throat close up.

She did have dreams. Even the scrapbook to-do list. Those were all things she dreamed of doing with her parents, even down to getting mehndi done with Mama for her wedding day and dancing with Bapu for the father-daughter dance.

"I... just don't know what I'm supposed to do. People keep saying that since I'm Dadaji's ward that I'm going to inherit his spot, but I don't know what that means. What can someone like me even do... do I go to college? What do I take? Am I... am I going to be able to dance and do this 'job' whatever it entails? I want to move forward, but... there are still things I would like to fix, but I don't know how..." Marley admitted as a flash of green eyes went through her head, the heartbroken look in his eyes. A look she had tried everything to do to avoid only for it backfire.

Marley thought of the person who she had hurt and wished that she could back and change her mistake or at least apologize, but maybe this was part of her punishment.

"And I just... wish they were here to help me, to give me advice, to scold me even. I'd take anything. Oh, I'm sorry I know you didn't come here to just see me cry." Marley had finally taken back her hand and was now trying to fan her face to keep from crying.

"Well... I think I'm getting used to it... at least you didn't cry in the food." Kyo sighed, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Ju-just ignore me..." Marley insisted as she lifted the collar of her shirt to try and hide her face.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" Kyo told her as that's something he never would be able to do.

"I bet- I bet Kazuma is waiting... he wants you to talk to him. I remember... Mama and Bapu could always tell- when I-I had something on my mind. And they always wanted to talk through it with me... Rather than me holding it in." Marley told him through her sniffles and cries.

"He's a doting parent that's waiting for you, and if you don't say anything, hiding yourself from him hurts him too. I'm sure... I'm sure he wants more than anything to know what's going on in your life." Marley was now hiding her head in her T-shirt, and the sight was slightly comical.

"Such a crybaby." Kyo smiled as he pulled down the shirt, and Marley's head popped out of the neck.

"I'm sor-" Marley was interrupted before she could apologize.

"I got it... I'll talk to him... just don't worry so much about me. Worry about yourself and how you're gonna get that grump of a grandfather to school for meetings." Marley actually giggled at the comment while Kyo brought his hand back and leaned back on the kitchen counter as he watched Marley hiccup a little as her tears started to calm down.

"You've got your own 'doting' grandfather to talk to... I bet he's waiting for you to talk to him too. That's better." Kyo smiled as he reached and wiped away one last tear, and Marley felt her stomach do summersaults.

.

"Guten Abend!" Momiji's cheerful voice broke through the kitchen, and Kyo jumped to the far side of the kitchen.

"Ah Marley-Chan, your eyes are all red. Did Kyo say something mean?" Momiji was quick to accuse his temperamental cousin, and this made said boy practically hiss.

"I DID NOT! God Dammit-"

"No, Kyo was actually helping me with something." Marley told Momiji as she now smiled down at him.

"But your better now, right?" The Rabbit asked, slightly pouting as he hated the thought of one of his favourite people being upset.

"Mhhm. How was your day Momiji?"

"It was great, I got to hang out with Tohru at her job! It was lots of fun." The excited boy spun on the spot, a smile that could brighten a dark room plastered on his face.

"I'm sure Tohru was happy to have you there to help. we're about to have a late dinner, would you like to join?" Marley

"Yes, please!"

"I'll get you a cup of tea. Why don't you relax while you wait for dinner?" Marley kissed the top of Momiji's head before turning away and getting a cup for the boy, and Kyo watched as the younger Zodiac member seemed to pause and get a blissful look on his face from the soft, affectionate gesture.

"Let's get out of the way..." Kyo picked up the blonde from the back of his shirt, but Momiji went pretty willingly, a little smile on his face.

The two sat down, and Momiji immediately looked at the scrapbook left on the table.

"Wow, this must be Marley-Chan's."

Momiji flipped through the book and stopped on a page.

"She'll get to cross this off when we go to the beach." Momiji happily pointed to a page, and Kyo leaned over and saw a doodle of a watermelon being split open with a bat of some sort.

Kyo peeked back into the kitchen, where he caught Marley wiping her hands on her apron and taking a deep breath before she disappeared from his sight.

"So what's the big deal with the book?"

"Marley-Chan made it while she was in the hospital. It's... all the things she wants to do with her life." Momiji spoke softly as he continued to flip through the pages a bit more before closing it, holding his hands to heart and closing his eyes as if he was saying a small prayer or a thank you.

"Kyo! Let's make this a great summer!" Momiji proclaimed, a broad grin on his face.

"Yeah yeah..." Momiji continued to talk Kyo's ear off while the Cat of the Zodiac decided to flip through channels, his eyes glancing at the book now and then. Kyo wanted to know what did Marley wish to do with her life? What had she dreamed about when she was trapped in that bed?

.

..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

Marley peeked into the office of her grandfather, watching as he read over documents and stamped a few things. The teen watched, wondering if it was okay to interrupt Tetsuo looked up and caught her gaze before she could say a word.

"Who's over? I heard voices." The man simply said as he removed his reading glasses.

"Oh, Kyo and Momiji came over... I hope we weren't too loud." Marley swayed a bit in the doorway of the office.

"No, nothing like that. Can you open that window?" The man gestured the far window Marley walked over and slid the window open, letting in the sound of crickets. The white-blonde fidgeted with her locket as she continued to watch the old man.

"I was able to find out about the summer house, you can use the one in the Kochi prefecture. It'll be a long drive, make sure to book the shuttle bus. I imagine all the kids will be going with you..." He raised an eyebrow at Marley, knowing she was most likely trying to get as many as her friends involved as she could.

"You don't want to come?" Marley asked, slightly disappointed but hoping not to show it too much. She knew her grandfather was an important man and didn't want to pester him too much.

"The beach was. never my thing.." He said. Tetsuo has his beach memories, and now he felt he was too old to be sitting on the sand in the hot sun or swim in the ocean, he was starting to feel his age.

"Dadaji... Um... I was just thinking... My teacher gave us these career forms things" Marley called asked as she sat down to the opposite side of the desk, picking up a few pens and placing them back in the red lacquer holder.

"Hmhmm."

"And... Umm... I was wondering if maybe we could sit down together at some point and just... Talk about it... And also there's parent-teacher meetings in the fall, will you be able to come?" The white-blonde finally asked.

"Of course, sweetheart. Just let me know the date." The man said as it was nothing but Marley as relieved that he didn't seem to be too put out by request. Tetsuo leaned back in his chair and relaxed a bit.

.

"Something smells good."

"Ah! Yes, we're having mac and cheese. Do you want me to bring you a plate?" Marley offered, assuming he was still busy with paperwork.

"I'll come out, I'm sick of looking over legal papers." He threw down his glasses on top of the stack of papers and tried to get up. Grunting a bit as he tried to make his body move, but he had been sitting down for too long.

"Need a hand?"

"Don't tell anyone."

"My lips are sealed." Marley promised as she gave her grandfather her hand, and he used to bring his body up off the floor, and the two walked out of the office.

Marley scurried to the kitchen and checked the timer before putting more water in the kettle. Momiji and Kyo were arguing about the remote until Tetsuo walked in, stole the remote from Kyo's hands, and started flipping through the channels himself as he made himself comfortable.

"How's school, boys?" He asked, and Kyo just shrugged and said that it was fine while Momiji boasted that he felt ready for exams.

The Sohma Elder nodded his head, and then a small smirk came on his face, and he found a particular movie playing. On the T.V was a comically large snake slithering through the water towards a boat.

"Kids, watch this... Marley, your favourite is on." Dadaji called out to the kitchen, and both Momiji and Kyo looked at one another and shrugged their shoulders, both not knowing what Tetsuo was up to.

"What- OH GOD! DADAJI! That's so mean." Marley had only taken a quick look before she covered her eyes and escaped back into the kitchen.

"What the hell just happened?" Kyo asked as he watched the old man chuckle before changing the channel to catch the last bit of a baseball game.

"Marley-Chan doesn't like snakes." Momiji let him know, remembering the first time that Marley met Ayame in his Zodiac form and fainted. Kyo didn't feel the need to ask questions, he wasn't a fan of snakes either. Snakes seem to cause nothing from problems.

On the other side of town, in a small boutique, a certain silver-haired Zodiac member gave a sneeze.

Marley finally returned to the living room when all three promised that there was no more snake on screen, and Momiji helped her set the table, and the four enjoyed the late-night meal together. Marley and Momiji gushed about the upcoming summer vacation and how they were ready to get exams over and done with.

Kyo couldn't help the small smile that pulled at his lips as Marley showed her doodle from class to Momiji. Tetsuo watched Kyo's gaze, following it to Marley, who was completely unaware and let out a small sigh.

The teenagers weren't the only ones who worried about the future.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Green eyes glared down at a phone, a dead black screen. He had no way to even contact his sister, who was busy teaching workshops. And he was slightly exhausted over the jet-lag plus he hadn't been expecting this humid heat that was slowly killing him. His long thick hair wasn't helping either, and he was ready to shave it off.

"'Here's **the address, you'll be fine.' She's says... I'm gonna kill her when I see her. If I ever see her again...** " The tall teen kicked a stone on the ground and leaned back against the stone wall.

A pretty boy with grey hair and a cute brunette in white and blue uniforms passed him by, but Miguel hardly paid them any mind. It wasn't until the girl started speaking, and he heard her utter the words' Sohma-Kun.'

The boy's eyes popped open, and he stood up to see where that voice had come from. The uniformed teens were climbing up a long thing of stairs, so he went to hurry after them. As he climbed the stairs, the girl took a misstep and started falling back. The tall teen quickly opened up his arms and safely caught the falling girl in his arms.

 **"You okay, chica?"** He asked, but the girl was still frozen in his arms, her heart hammering in her chest as her large brown eyes stared into a concerned green gaze. Tohru was looking into eyes that she could only describe as enchanting. Green with specks of hazel and thick dark eyelashes.

"I-I –I."

The other uniformed teen came down the steps, a worried look in his eyes.

"Honda-San! Are you alright?"

"Ah. I'm fine..." Tohru still hadn't taken her eyes off the handsome tanned stranger, now noticing the intricate tattoos on his well-toned arms, and Tohru was sure she had seen those eyes recently, but where?

"You **should be careful, that could have been really nasty fall**." The boy still had her in his arms, and Tohru could only nod her head, and he only sighed, carefully putting her upright on a step.

 **"Sorry, English. Um..."** Tohru struggled, her face red and flustered. She had felt good about her English exam, but any English she thought she knew swiftly left her, leaving her sputtering. The stranger nodded and tried to use what limited Japanese he knew.

"... it's dangerous... be careful." He used simple Japanese, using the limited vocabulary that he picked up from watching Dragon Ball as a kid. The brunette continued to think about familiar face and where she had seen him.

"Ah! MIGUEL-SAN!" Tohru shouted as she finally remembered about the photo she had seen of him with Marley. She slightly butchered his name, but the stranger didn't hold it against her. The only thing that was different that this man's hair slightly went past his shoulders instead of the shorter hair in the picture.

 **"How do you know me?** " He raised an eyebrow and almost wondered if it was a lucky guess somehow, and Tohru explained that they were classmates and friends with Marley. Yuki suggested going home and talking there rather than the middle of the stairs.

.

The guest was given tea and an ice-cold glass of water that he chugged down, so Tohru quickly left to grab him another. Shigure took charge of the conversation as he was the most well versed in the English language in the household.

 **"So, you and your sister in Japan for a few weeks, and you're here to see Marley?"** Shigure asked, somewhat excited about this new development, Summer was undoubtedly shaping up to be an exciting time.

 **"Yeah, I was told she was living with her step-fathers family now. I had the address on my phone, but it died. Are you guys not the Sohmas?"** The guest asked, wondering if he had the wrong family.

 **"We're the Sohmas, but Its a very large family, and she actually lives in the Estate."** Shigure explained, and Miguel nodded, readjusting again as he wasn't used to sitting on the floor for so long.

 **"Here you are."** Tohru was determined to use her English, wanting to put Marley's tutoring to use and hopefully be better understood by Miguel.

"Thanks um." Miguel said as Tohru herself took a seat on the floor, placing down another glass of water on the table.

 **"Oh, my name is Honda Tohru. It is a pleasure to meet you."** The polite Tohru bowed as she tested out he English, still self-conscious, but she wanted to try.

On instinct, Miguel reached out his hand for a shake, and Tohru picked it up quickly, using her two hands to shake his large hand, and he laughed.

"Miguel Angel Hernadez Flores." Tohru was able to take a better look at the many tattoos that covered his tanned arms, she could make out what looked like a few skulls but also florals like roses, it was slightly intimidating, but they were also beautiful.

 **"So, Marley's not here?"** Miguel asked as he turned back to the kimono-clad adult who had a giant smile on his face.

 **"I can take you to the Sohma Estate, I need to pop over there anyway."** Plus, Shigure was very curious as to how Marley would respond to the guest from America.

.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-..

.

It was only an hour after Shigure and Miguel left that a loud slam was heard through the house and stomping footsteps.

"Ah Kyo-Kun. Your home early. Welcome home!" Tohru greeted him, but he just started going up the stairs, but he stopped midway, and the brunette was watching him with worry.

"Oi, what do you know?" Kyo asked as he paused in the stairwell, not even turning to look at Tohru.

"Hmm?"

"About that guy? The one Shigure brought to Marley's." Kyo snapped, clearly in a terrible mood, his shoulders tense, and his fists curled.

Tohru thought back to what Marley had told her about Miguel and felt a little flustered. The brunette certainly never expected Marley to have already had such a serious relationship so young.

.

_"He... was my first time" Marley had confessed about Miguel, revealing a little bit of her past.  
_

.

"Miguel-San is a very dear friend to Marley-Chan." Tohru tried to explain, but the look in Kyo's eyes made her feel like she had said something wrong.

"Um Kyo-Kun, would you like anything for dinner?" Tohru offered as she hadn't gotten started on cooking yet.

"Not hungry." And with that, Kyo disappeared for the rest of the night.

The orange-haired teen escaped to the roof and laid back on the cold tiles, staring up at the sky. The sky was a mix of oranges and purple as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. It was a gorgeous evening, but Kyo wasn't enjoying it one bit. His mind going back to the event that he just witnessed.

A small bird was hopping about on the living room table, their little wing was still bandaged up, but he was still very energetic. Marley cooed and awed over the small bird as Kyo watched the bird hop onto Marley's finger, chirping and whistling before the white-blonde let him back onto the table.

_._

_"Here, hold out your hand flat." Marley opened up Kyo's palm and had him lay it down on the table, determined to get her friend acquainted with her temporary house guest._

_"He won't come." Kyo sighed as the brown and blue bird hopped around the table, actively staying away from him. He almost wondered if the bird knew that Kyo was cursed with the Cat spirit._

_"Just give him a chance. C'mon little Zuzu." Marley encouraged, her next idea was to get some birdseed and try and coax the small bird into Kyo's hand. The two teens were so caught up in the little bird that they didn't notice two sets of footsteps stepping through the back garden._

_"Yoo-hoo!" A cheery voice broke through, and Marley and Kyo both popped their head up to look out the back porch where a handsome dark grey-haired man stood._

_"Shigure? The hell you doing here?" Kyo asked, not trusting him showing up here one bit._

_"Ah Kyo-Kun? Is this where you been disappearing too?" Shigure teased, and Kyo was about to yell at him to 'piss off,' but Marley was quick to pipe up._

_"It's nice to see you, Shigure. Can I get you a cup of tea?" Marley asked as she put away Zazu into his cage and stood up, ready to be a good hostess._

_"No, no. I've actually brought a little surprise." Shigure gave a somewhat trickster type smile that he hid behind a paper fan. Marley tilted her head, curious as to what the surprise could be._

_**"Hey...Marley."** A deep voice called out, and Kyo watched as Marley froze, her amethyst eyes gent wide as a figure stepped out from behind Shigure. Marley walked to the porch, not really believing who she was seeing._

_The girl was strangely silent, not uttering a single word._

_The tall, athletic-looking teen stepped forward till he was at the edge of the porch, finally stepping onto the porch and towering over the girl who backed up a little. He had long dark hair, multiple tattoo's running up from his forearms that disappeared behind his T-shirt's sleeves._

_**"You...you. Fuck, I don't know what to say.."** He uttered, and then the tall teen wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him, holding her tight as if she would disappear if he didn't hold on tightly enough. Marley let out a shocked squeal, and it took a few moments for her to return the gesture. Wrapping her arms around the man's large frame. _

_**"What are you doing here?"** Marley pulled back, placing her hands on the man's chest as she leaned back a bit, looking up to meet the man's green eyes._

_**"Gabi got some deal teaching classes over the summer and also a few shows at a venue. It seemed like a good opportunity for a visit."** He replied, and Kyo was surprised at how much he was able to understand._

_**"That's amazing!"** Marley smiled, swaying back on her feet, and the two soon dived into a quick-paced conversation, speaking too quickly for Kyo or Shigure to pick anything up._

_The two were so caught up in the conversation that Marley didn't even realize that Kyo had slipped out and over the fence._

.  
Now Kyo had a name for the stranger that had been so close with Marley. There was an uncomfortable feeling in his chest, and he couldn't stop clenching his jaw.

Why should it matter that Marley had a friend visiting from America? It didn't matter at all. Not one bit. But still...

_Why the hell am I so angry?_

Kyo's pocket vibrated, and he pulled out his phone.

+1 new message from Marley +

Opening it up, he was met with a simple 'why did you leave? Everything alright'

Kyo didn't want to reply. But... he also didn't want her to keep asking as she tended to worry too much. So, he lied and texted back a simple 'just tired' and Marley told him to have a good rest and wished him sweet dreams.

The frustrated boy sighed and shoved the phone back in his pocket, unknowing that Marley was still looking down at her phone with a slight frown as Miguel was talking to his sister on the home phone. Her own complicated feelings stirring in Marley's chest like a storm.

.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> TAKO is the Japanese word octopus while Taco is... well its a taco XD
> 
> Guten Abend - German for Good Evening
> 
> Songs:
> 
> Bury A Friend - Billie Eilish
> 
> Bitchen Broken Hearts - Billie Eilish
> 
> .  
> .  
> .  
> Miguel is here, I repeat Miguel is here!
> 
> Wow, sorry I know it has been a while but I kept changing A LOT about this chapter, ended up writing certain things and then cutting it out and even cut out the Yuki Ayame peach scene cause... I just didn't feel like doing it sorry. There also might be some mistakes in here, I got REALLY lazy during editing so please forgive me and feel free to point it out and I'll go back in and fix it.
> 
> I hope everyone is doing well and thank you for reading, commenting and leaving kudos. My heart beats so fast when I get to read a comment and it makes me so happy so thank you, thank you, thank you. Virutal hugs and Kisses to all of you.
> 
> Also, I'm thinking about commissioning another fan art and was wondering if there are any certain Marley scenes you would love to see illustrated?
> 
> I am so behind in Fruits Basket, I even missed like three episodes, but that's okay. I'll get myself caught maybe when I've caught up in writing XD


	8. O-Oh

.

.

The last group was up for the night, and four dancers were the center of the attention for the moment, wrapping up the evening on a good note and letting themselves really feel the music. All for one who was honestly just going through the motions while masking that she was still feeling off somehow. But at least the upbeat song was natural to act energized too.

_삐삐삐 논란이 돼 my fashion (oh)_

_별로 신경 안 써 그저 action (yeah)_

_자꾸 click me click me_

_홀린 듯이 zoom_

_Close up close up close up_

Marley let her body roll, and everyone whooped, excited for the execution as the bare skin of her stomach rocked with the beat.

_Hip 해 hip hip_

_머리 어깨 무릎 hip_

_Hip hip, hip hip hip hip 해 hip hip_

_머리 어깨 무릎 hip_

_Hip hip hip hip 해 hip (hip, hip, hip)_

The other dancers milked the ending and went into some freestyles while people cheered, but Marley just walked off the floor, and people gave her their 'good jobs' as she smiled and thanked them before she took a large drink from the water bottle, finishing it off before stuffing it into her duffle.

"Alright! Remember everyone. I'm gonna be away next week, but I'll be posting challenges on my insta stories, so stay connected and give the challenges a try. Oh, and the studio will still be open, just keep an eye of the schedule for drop-ins and workshops." The choreographer called out, and everyone said called out, 'Hai!'.

.

"Any plans for the summer?" A fellow dancer asked. Marley couldn't remember her name, but she was always friendly and had the coolest nail designs.

"Some friends from America are visiting." Marley smiled as she took out hair from her ponytail and fluffed it out.

"That must be nice! I'm sure you guys have a lot to catch up on."

"Yeah... How about you? What are your plans?" Marley asked as she slipped off her indoor sneakers and put them away.

"Honestly? Hiding in my house with the AC and working on my village on Animal Crossing." The girl looked to Marley for some sort of reaction, but she seemed confused, slightly tilting her head and her large eyes blinking owlishly.

"Animal Crossing?" The girl repeated, maybe she wasn't clear enough, but Marley simply shrugged her shoulders and began walking towards the doors with her.

"Seriously?!" The college girl then went on a huge rant explanation about the simulation video game, and Marley had to explain she was still really new to video games. Marley had been given a Nintendo switch from her grandfather when she was in the hospital and only played the few games that he had given her.

"Sohma-Chan. Momiji-Kun is here with some bad-boy looking snack." A girl with double Dutch braids grabbed Marley's arm and gestured to the large glass window that showed the sidewalk.

"hmmm?" Marley looked over at the large window off the studio, and Momiji was jumping up and down next to Miguel, who was wearing dark jeans, a simple white t-shirt showing off his tattoos, his dark chocolate hair flowing freely.

Marley couldn't deny that he looked good with the longer hair, he could pass for Jason Mamoa's younger brother or something.

"THAT'S your friend from America?" The girl started to wiggle her eyebrows, and Marley only laughed before wishing them a good summer.

"GIRL! I WANT DETAILS!" Marley heard before rolling her eyes and stepping outside.

"We caught the last bit! You looked so cool, Marley-Chan!" Momiji cheered as he jumped up and down as he grabbed one of Marley's hands.

" **You've really jumped into the hip-hop and street dance, huh? Do you even do the ballet stuff anymore?** " Miguel asked as he began walking beside the two, grabbing Marley's bag and carrying it for her.

Marley nodded and explained she still did classes but had just wanted to try something new, and street dance had become something she really liked.

"Have you guys eaten yet?"

" **There's a really good ramen place around the corner.** " Marley was pointing down the road to the ramen place that she and Kyo had visited a few months back. It had been a while, and she really liked that spot, she always smiled when she caught sight of it, remembering Kyo laughing at Marley's less than on point ramen eating skills.

" **Can't you just make something?** " Miguel still hadn't really tried the local cuisine, complaining that he wouldn't like any of it.

" **Sure. I've got some cauliflower and potatoes that I need to cook up anyway**." Marley could make some aloo gobi and some roti. In all honesty, she didn't really feel like cooking, but she would do it.

Miguel was only going to be here for a short bit, and she wanted him to enjoy his trip. But she was planning on getting him to try something new, it would be good for him.

.

.

.-.-.-..-.-.-..-.-..-.-.-..-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-..-.-..-.-.-.

.

.

"And he's so tall even though he's our age! I wanna get big like him! Miguel-San is so cool! He's got such cool tattoos, he's even got a huge one on his back!" Momiji had been talking about Marley's guests almost all lunch.

The Sohma cousins, along with Tohru, were having lunch all together on the rooftop.

"I'm surprised he can have that many tattoos and be in school." Yuki mentioned. Kyo scoffed from a corner of the rooftop, he had kept his distance.

"Marley-Chan said that he kept them covered up at school." Momiji explained. He had spent lots of time at the household as Miguel, and his sister were visiting. They apparently were staying at some sort of AIR BnB apartment in the inner part of the city, but they spend their afternoons till late evenings.

Some evenings Miguel's older sister, Gabriella, had to work. She was in show business just like Marley's mother and had been dancers at the same club. And during the day, she was even teaching workshops on how to dance at a studio in the city.

"Miguel's sister is super cool! And really funny too! She and Marley-Chan were dancing to really fun music in the kitchen last night." Momiji was clearly having a good time with the new and exciting guests, remembering the two women dancing to the foreign music that Momiji couldn't understand, but it was enjoyable to dance to.

"aww I'm so sad they went to lunch without me." Momiji pouted. When Momiji asked about where Marley was, Kyo and huffed, and Tohru explained that Marley had gone for lunch off school grounds to meet up with Miguel at a café down the road.

"Shouldn't she be getting back soon? The Lunch hour is almost over." Tohru asked, worried that her friend would get in trouble.

Kyo suddenly stood up from his spot. He stared off the edge of the roof before walking away, opening the door and walking down the stairs back into the school.

"I wonder how long till he pops." Haru asked, and it made Tohru and Momiji tilt their heads. Haru only shook his head and told them not to worry about it.

"Oh, she's back!" Momiji spotted Marley being walked back to the school gates by Miguel, they hugged, and Marley walked back on to school grounds only to run into a bespectacled student council president. Most likely giving her a hard time for leaving school grounds or something.

"Oh, dear... I should see if I can go help." Yuki sighed as he exited the rooftop, let the group go, and got the strict President Takei off of Marley's case.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Isuzu flipped through channels on the hospital TV. The late afternoon sunlight filling the room, and Marley was talking with some of the nurses. One nurse was catching her up, she had recently gotten married and was showing off her ring while Marley marvelled.

Isuzu was grateful cause if Marley wasn't here, the nurse would be chatting her ear off. Marley was the buffer, while Isuzu could just hang back and be left alone.

It would only be another day, or so and then Isuzu would finally be free to leave the hospital. There was so much she had to do, and she couldn't do it while she was cooped up in this hospital room.

She needed to talk to Shigure, that was her first lead. He had to know something. Anything.

"So, what clothes do you want me to bring when we come and pick you up?" Isuzu hadn't noticed that the nurses were now gone, but Marley passed her a pudding cup, mentioning she had swiped it when a cart went by.

"just pick whatever... how are things on the estate" Isuzu asked as Marley slipped into the bed, and the Zodiac member threw the thin blanket over both of their legs. The AC was on full blast, so it was a little chilly in the room.

"Umm, nothing too different. A few families have gone on trips... Oh, Miguel and Gabrielle have basically been staying over, so be careful when you come by. Don't know how I would explain a horse in the house to them." Marley giggled.

"What does he want?" Isuzu asked, and Marley had to tilt her head.

"Like... has he tried anything?" the black-haired girl really didn't know how to ask.

"What?! No, no, no, nothing like that." The girl didn't even blush, waving off the accusation like it was nothing, because they're truly was nothing.

"Have you guys even talked about it?"

"Well... I don't know... I tried to talk about it and tried to apologize, but he just kind of... blew me off."

"You're not the one who needs to apologize." Marley was far too forgiving, but Isuzu learned that maybe she would have to start looking after the kind-hearted girl.

Marley was not too sure about that... but it was a complicated situation and could have been avoided had she only been honest. Had Miguel really forgiven her?

It had been so long since they'd really spoken. The two had a big falling out and Miguel and avoided Marley, and before the two could makeup, Marley had her first heart attack, and the rest was history.

"... I know that you told Haru... about Miguel and me." Isuzu froze and looked to Marley, panicked that she would be mad, but all she was a sad purple eye looking down at her lap.

Marley told herself that at the time, she was doing because she did care for Miguel. She did love him. And he had needed her.

.

_"You wanna make me feel better, fine. Give. Me. You. That's what you do, right? So hungry for love that you let people use you?" Haru's words felt like daggers of ice into her heart. Marley's eyes widened as he spat those words, her eyes started to burn. Terrible mistakes coming back to haunt her._

_The words hurt, but... was it the truth?_

.

"I- I only told him what you told me..." Isuzu watched as Marley just stared down at her lap. The black-haired teenager had never meant anything bad by telling her boyfriend at the time about Marley's story. The story had actually made Isuzu frustrated, and Haru was the only person she felt she could share those frustrations with.

"It's okay. I'm not mad... I just..." Marley took in a deep breath and looked up at the hospital ceiling.

Do you think that I'm a terrible person?

"Never mind... it doesn't matter." Marley found herself not wanting to know what Isuzu thought, because... what if it only cemented what Haru had said. Plus, the Zodiac member already seemed to have enough on her plate, with Marley adding to it.

Isuzu huffed and downed the rest of the pudding cup, and Marley just laughed. The two watched some random TV before the nurses came around, and visiting hours were over. The dancer wished her friend a goodnight, mentioning she would be by with Hiro and Hatori to pick her up in a few days.

The white-blonde was still feeling peckish and was craving something salty.

Marley popped into a convenience store on the way home that also happened to be the one her friend Uo worked at, but that wasn't the familiar face she when she entered, standing by the icebox.

"Ah Kureno? Hello!" The man seemed shocked to be called out but smiled politely once he realized it was Marley.

"Marley-San, good evening." The ever so polite man slightly bowed his head as he greeted Marley, and she smiled before bowing back.

"Looking for something?" Marley asked as she watched as he looked around the store.

"Ah... No, not really. I... guess I just wanted another glimpse of something but. It's alright." A small smile graced his lips, but it was the usual polite smile that was there, and it didn't reach his eyes that seemed so melancholy.

"I just came to grab some ice cream, you want one?" Marley asked as she looked through the freezer and looked through all the choices with Kureno.

"um I don't really know what I like..." Marley grabbed a few of her favourites and a bag of chips and walked to the counter.

"My friend works here, but I guess she's off tonight." Marley mentioned as she looked around one more time to make sure she hadn't missed Uo somehow but exited with the Zodiac member.

It was a pretty quiet walk, and it wasn't a comfortable kind. The Rooster of the Zodiac had always been quiet, but this felt different.

"Were you just out for a walk then?" Marley asked, used to Kureno staying pretty close to the main house.

"Hmm."

"It's a beautiful evening for it. I've even gotten used to the cicadas. Man, at first, they drove me nuts. Though my friends who are visiting, they saw one for the first time yesterday. The look on their faces, you would have thought I showed them a beast." Marley giggled as she remembered both Miguel's and his older sister a picture of what a cicada looked like.

"I heard you had people from America over." Kureno nodded. It was actually the talk of the estate as they weren't used to guests, especially not American guests.

"Ya, they surprised me. It's been really nice catching up with them. They even brought a few of my favourite things that I can't find here." Marley smiled as she thought of the stuff they brought and how excited Gabrielle had been to see her, wrapping her up in such a tight hug before showing off some cute clothes from Marley's favourite boutique.

"There are things you can't get here in Japan?"

"Well, ya. Or if I can find it, it's costly. They even brought me a box of my favourite cereal! It was really sweet." Marley had put the boxes of fruit loops, and corn pops away and wanted to save them for something special.

"I asked Akito if... well, I heard that Akito wasn't feeling well due to the heat. Do you mind dropping this off for me? And the other one is for you." Marley passed him the plastic bag after she put her own goodies into her purse.

"For me?"

"Well, you looked really curious about it. And you can't leave a store empty-handed." Marley joked, and Kureno took the bag form her.

Marley watched as he still seemed to be looking around, and she looked around too, wondering what he was searching for.

"Did you... forget something?"

"Huh?"

"You just seem... um... Like you're looking for something." Kureno didn't answer her, he just looked at the ground.

Marley really didn't know much about the older man. She could count them on the one hand.

Kureno was polite.

Kureno was Akito's assistant.

He was also Akito's... well, Marley wasn't actually sure what the two were.

And Kureno was the rooster of the Zodiac, though Marley had yet to see his Zodiac form.

But the one thing Marley always noticed was that there always seemed to be loneliness surrounding him.

"Whatever you're looking for... I know you'll find it." Marley gave his hand a squeeze and gave him a warm, comforting smile, hoping her words were true.

His jaw slightly dropped, and then he chuckled lightly, telling Marley not to worry about him before he walked off.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

The next few days felt like a whirlwind, final exams were finished, and all the students of 2-D waited to be freed for Summer Vacation.

"You don't have to become an 'adult'… but do become someone who is responsible for their own deeds and words. Well, I guess that's even more difficult. But anyway..." Mayu Sensei looked over the class and let out a sigh,

The entire class was practically twitching in anticipation, waiting for the words they long to hear.

"... the last lecture you'll hear for a while is now over. Have a great summer vacation!" She ordered, and the class cheered before the teacher walked away, she also reminded everyone to do their summer homework, but the teenagers were already celebrating.

"It's like rain after a long drought!"

"Summer vacation is here!"

"I'm gonna have fuuun! And eat! And Sleep! And work! Studying can screw itself!" Uo cheered.

"It's great to have a break." Tohru agreed, a smile on her face as she was definitely ready to at least relax a little.

"I can't wait to go out and enjoy the sunshine." Marley stretched a bit as she stood up, her hands reaching towards the ceiling.

"I'm so psyched I could go punch a car! Yeah!" The ex-gangster was clearly pumped.

"That would be-" Tohru trembled at the idea.

"Probably not a great idea..." Marley commented as she tried not to laugh over Uo's 'enthusiasm'.

.

"Arisa... maybe you should take it down a notch..." Hana told her as she was already decked out in summer stuff, including a water ring, a sun hat, a beach ball and a popsicle in hand.

"I know your excited that summer vacation has just begun, but..."

_I'm most curious about the popsicle... how did she keep it from melting in class?_

"You're right. In fact, looking at you has snapped me out of it already."

"H-Hanajima-san... I see you're ready for the summer..." Yuki twitched a bit, baffled by all of Hana's summer accessories.

"I'm just getting started..." Hanajima mentioned as she took out another popsicle and handed it to Marley, who happily accepted, decided not to question where it came from.

_Mango flavoured, so tasty!_

"Ah! Hanajima-San! The dates for the remedial classes are posted in the hallway! You should probably write them down!" A student pointed out as he gestured to the hall.

"There's no need... after all, I didn't fail a single final exam this term." Hana revealed without batting an eye.

"Good job Hanajima!" Marley smiled, happy that her friend wouldn't be stuck in the classroom over summer break, returning to finishing the popsicle before it melted.

A few people watched as she snacked on the summer treat, but she was blissfully unaware of the hungry eyes.

"Ni one'd wanna take remedial classes in this classroom with no AC." Uo crossed her arms and nodded. Marley couldn't imagine sitting in the classroom with no AC, it was already so hot today that Marley had to put her long hair into space buns to keep it off the back of her neck.

_Plus, it looked adorable._

"Yes. It was onerous last year." Hana brought a hand to her face and shook her head.

"I-if that's how it is, then couldn't you pass your exams every time?" The boy asked, and his friend followed up; both were in shock over Hana's comment.

"Yeah, if you always try as hard as you did this time..."

"I've contemplated that myself, but I have absolutely no motivation. And so, we are free as the birds in the sky. Now, what shall we do this afternoon?" Hana asked her friends, and Marley finished off the last bit of the popsicle and threw the stick in the garbage, barely making it in the can.

"Sorry, I already scheduled work shifts." Uo turned down Hana.

"You did?" Tohru asked.

"The café in the afternoon and the convenience store tonight. It's the best time to make some cash." Uo explained and Marley was impressed with her work ethic

"I planned to find a second job this summer, too, but I didn't have time to search." Tohru sighed, feeling like she had let herself down.

"Don't be crazy! You're already doing chores in that huge house and taking care of those three huge men!"

"Huge?" Marley looked over at Yuki and Kyo and wasn't sure if she would ever call them 'huge'.

"And you want to take on another job?! You'll die of overwork, I say! Absolutely not!" Uo declared, shaking her head and crossing her arms.

Tohru denied the statement, and Marley thought about her request to pick up a part-time job. Her Dadaji had put it down, but that didn't stop her from at least making a small flyer for 'babysitting services' and putting it up on the message board. She used to babysit back in Vegas for a little extra spending money. But in the end, she found it really hard to take people's money, so she never made that much. But at least it was something.

"Ah! By the way, Uo, you mentioned you met someone like Tohru at your job? Which was it?" Hana asked.

"The convenience store and I keep telling you, he's not like Tohru. His clumsiness just reminded me of Tohru." Uo explained.

"Oh, my. Is he that scatterbrained?" Hana sighed, and Tohru blinked.

"Clumsiness? Scatterbrained?" Tohru mimicked the words as her eyes went wide.

"There, there. It's okay." Marley patted her shoulder and tried to tell her that it was cute.

"You're an air cadet to Marley. I feel like I need to keep you on a leash you wander off so much." Uo teased, and Marley went wide-eyed and pointed to herself.

"Huh?"

"Anyway, I haven't seen him again since. It might be nice to see him again, though..." Uo decided to switch gears as she smirked over at her brown-skinned friend.

"But YOU! You got lover boy in town! The summer of love." Uo grabbed Marley and shook her, hiding her pain by teasing Marley.

"No, no. It's not like that!" Marley denied not wanting anyone to get the wrong idea. Miguel and Marley were strictly friends, they even had a massive talk about it the other night.

Well... Marley tried to talk, but Miguel had dodged what Marley had really wanted to talk about, but the slightly troubled teen didn't want to push too hard.

"I-!"

.

Marley's phone went off, and she checked it. A text from Momiji asked if they could all do something and meet out front with silly face emoji. She sent a thumbs up and giggled at the animated bunny gif the young boy sent back, not feeling an intense stare from orange eyes from across the room.

But it didn't go unnoticed by Uo or Hana.

"I should get going, but let's get together over the break for lunch or maybe some shopping?" Marley offered, and the girls nodded, and the white blonde smiled and went to pack up her things.

"Hmmm you know...someone has been really moody, ever more than usual." Uo elbowed Tohru softly.

"Huh, who?"

Uo gestured to across the classroom and directed Tohru's attention to Kyo, who watched Marley as she packed her bag and spoke with Yuki.

Tohru wasn't sure what to say. Kyo had been... distant these last few days and seemed like he was frustrated. He barely ate with them and would go straight up to his room or the roof for the past week. Marley had most likely been very busy with Miguel the last week, talking about his and his sister and disappearing most lunch hours to meet up with them.

Tohru knew that Marley and Kyo were close. They always seemed to be sharing lunch, and it wasn't much of a mystery that Kyo spends a lot of his free time at her house in the Sohma Estate.

"I'm sure Kyo's just eager to start summer vacation." Tohru insisted, and Uo and Hana both let out a sigh and shook their heads.

"Well. Maybe we'll get better details when we meet up over the break, what do you think Hanajima?" Uo crossed her arms, and the wave-length reader smiled and said she looked forward to the gossip.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"The start of the summer break is so exciting, don't you think?" Tohru and Marley stepped down the main staircase together, the Sohma boys slightly behind them.

"I can barely wait! It's gonna be so much fun!" Marley agreed, the conversation with Uo and Hana behind her and summer vacation to look forward to.

"You two are acting like kids." Kyo shook his head, a frown present on his face.

"You're the most childish one here, stupid cat." Yuki sighed, disagreeing with anything Kyo had to say.

"What? What about me is childish?!" Kyo hissed.

"Oh, Honda-San. Should we get dinner ingredients on the way home?" Yuki ignored the fuming Kyo, which only angered him on more.

"Don't ignore me! Don't pick a fight and run off damn rat!" Kyo leaped down from the stairs and bared his teeth at Yuki, who only gave him a slight glare.

"You getting into every fight possible is what's so childish about you. Stupid cat."

"What are you guys gonna have for dinner?" Marley asked Tohru as the cat and mouse bickered back and forth.

"Ginger pork." A new voice cut through, and they all turned to see a funny sight.

Hatsuharu was standing in the courtyard, directly under the spray of the sprinkler without a care in the world.

"I want to eat ginger pork." Haru spoke as he continued to let the sprinkler spray him.

"Haru... your um... really getting wet..." Marley wondered if he had extra clothes or was planning on just walking around with wet clothes.

"What are you doing?" Kyo asked, raising a brow at his cousin's strange behaviour.

"Nice and cool." Haru said so softly in his usual monotone voice.

.

"Oh yeah? It's nice and cool? Well, you spacing out getting soaked by sprinkler looks freaking weird." Kyo sighed as he stepped up and placed a hand on Haru's shoulder. It all seemed calm till a small jet stream of water was shot into Kyo's face.

"Gotcha! Getting soaked is the best on a hot day." Momiji cheered as he held up the small water gun proudly, the very one he had just used on Kyo. Marley giggled at the shocked look on Kyo's face but was in for a surprise herself.

"EYAAAAH" Marley jumped up as cold water hit her in the middle of her back.

" **Just trying to cool you off.** " Miguel smirked as he held up a small bright pink water gun in the shape of a dolphin.

" **Miguel! Oh god, that scared me, and it's ice-cold!**!" Marley laughed as she tried to pat her back and feel how wet it was.

" **Momiji asked me to pick them up. He knew I was coming to pick you up**." He mentioned as he pointed the child's toy at Marley again, and she was about to run away but a voice a cut her off.

"You. ANNOYING RABBIT!" Kyo yelled, clearly angry over the uncalled-for water fight.

" **Carrot top always like that?** " Miguel asked, and Marley just laughed nervously as she scratched her cheek.

"Not always, no." Marley defended as she gave up trying to dry her back, it would naturally dry in the sun anyway. Kyo certainly had his moments, but Marley knew that underneath the brash looking attitude, he was kind and wonderful.

_Plus... Momiji did strike first_

"Marley-Chan! Tohru!" Momiji cried as he was still held in Kyo's hold.

"Kyo-" Marley's call was cut off by a massive dump of water that took out Kyo and made him let go of Momiji. Miguel and picked up the sprinkler and aimed it towards the two.

"I had to help the little guy; you shouldn't bully those smaller." Miguel used his little Japanese as he glared at Kyo. It was true that Momiji had spent a lot of time at Marley's house and, therefore and a lot of time with Miguel, so maybe the foreigner felt a little protective of his new friend.

" **It's okay, Miguel-San! Kyo is just a bully sometimes**!" Momiji explained in English, and Kyo understood every word. All that studying and Marley movies were starting to pay off.

"I'm gonna get you." Kyo threatened, and Momiji stuck out his tongue before running off but stopped when he heard Marley giggling at their antics.

" **Ah, wasn't he was the dude hanging out at your place.** " Miguel said as he pointed at Kyo, he couldn't really forget such loud hair colour.

"Ah yes. Kyo, this is my friend from Vegas-" Marley was about to introduce, but Miguel interrupted, saying his name with such speed that even Marley had trouble keeping up.

"Miguel Angel Hernadez Flores."

Kyo's jaw slightly dropped over all the names being thrown at him, he wasn't sure what the American teen had just said to him, but it didn't sound like English or Japanese.

"And Miguel, this is my friend Sohma Kyo! He's Yuki, Haru and Momiji's cousin." Marley introduced the boys, and the two glared at each other, but Marley was blissfully unaware, honestly just happy that two important people in her life were finally meeting.

Hopefully, they become friends!

" **Kyo, huh**."

See, Miguel knew precisely who Kyo was, and he wasn't sure how to feel now that he was finally meeting. The two long lost friends had been catching up. Marley told him all about the Sohma, and they're personalities along with stories and how excited she was for him to get to know them over the summer break. But there was one name that Miguel heard more than anyone else, and it wasn't hard to ignore the smile in Marley's face when 'Kyo's' name popped up.

Miguel really wanted to know if there was anything between the two but on the other hand. He really didn't want to find out.

Before he could prod anymore, a light voice broke him from his thoughts.

" **Its. Its um good to see you again Flores-San, how have you enjoyed your trip.** " Tohru asked as she stepped up to him, looking up as he easily towered over her.

" **Just call me Miguel. Man... This heat is killing me**." Miguel's hair was up in a messy bun, trying to keep himself cool.

" **Ah Miguel-San, um... ano... um, would water help?** " Tohru asked, struggling with Miguel's name as she concentrated on her English.

" **Sure... hit me**." Miguel brought out still half full bright pink water gun, and Marley jumped away before she could get hit again. Tohru began to panic, practically squeaking and was confused as to what he meant by 'hit me'.

Miguel smirked, finding her flustered state cute and placed the water gun in her hands and stood back with his arms out, gesturing for the brunette to 'cool him down'.

"Do it, Tohru! Get revenge for me!" Marley cheered as she hid by Yuki, who was smiling at her antics.

" **Go for it**." Miguel had a smile on his face, his dimples on full display. The girl gulped, and her face went hot as she became flustered, jostled the water gun in her hand before she closed her eyes, held out the gun, pulled the trigger, and felt a cold blast of water hit her face.

Tohru had mistakenly faced the pink water pistol towards her rather than away and shot herself.

" **Man... that... was... amazing. Nice aim Chica.** " Miguel laughed, and Tohru watched, not minding as the water dripped down her face as the man's full laugh filled the space. While she hadn't understood a lot of what he said, it certainly sounded nice.

Marley came over and shooed the still laughing Miguel away, taking the water gun from Tohru and emptying it out in the grass before putting it away in her backpack.

"Sorry about him, Tohru. He is a really nice guy, but a bit of a trouble maker." Marley apologized as she handed her a small handkerchief.

"Ah no... That was pretty silly wasn't it? And it was very refreshing." Tohru giggled as she wiped away some of the water.

"We'll get him back later." Marley said in a hushed voice, and Tohru nodded her head, enjoying the fun, and the summer had only just begun. Miguel responded by lightly kicking Marley in the butt, and she let out a squeal causing Miguel again to laugh.

The newcomer felt eyes on him and looked back to see Kyo hung open with his jaw, looking at him with slight disgust. Being one for stirring the pot just a little, Miguel walked up to Marley threw an arm over her shoulder, if only to see what a certain orange headed boy would do.

He watched the boy clench his fist, and Miguel wanted to smirk as if he won some sort of battle, but he looked down at Marley, who hadn't even returned the half-hug or leaned into his hold as she spoke with Haru and Momiji.

It was as if Miguel wasn't even there.

"Momiji, weren't you saying you wanted to go do something?" Marley reminded the short high schooler who jumped 5 feet in the air, excited to get started on Summer vacation.

.

. -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

"Hey! Let's all celebrate our first day of break! There's something I really want to do. This way!" Momiji tugged Tohru along as they entered a large building.

" **Oh Miguel! This is your first time in a Japanese department store! They're amazing!** " Marley was tugging on his arm, pointing and various things, but Miguel hardly seemed interested.

Miguel had been in Japan for a little under a week now but hadn't really seen much, Marley hadn't had a lot of time to show him around yet, and it didn't help that Miguel didn't seem all that willing to go explore and complained about jet lag.

But Marley was determined for him to enjoy the trip and wanted him to love the place she now called home. Or at least be interested in it.

But his mood had seemed to plummet, and Marley had no clue why.

" **It's just like a mall you'd find back home...** " He sighed as he let his hair out of the bun, letting his hair fall down to his shoulders.

" **Ya, but it's so big! And the entire bottom floor has all these food stalls**." Marley talked up the building, but Miguel wasn't really biting.

" **I don't really see the big deal..**."

Kyo watched as Marley's pointed out things and excitedly spoke with Miguel, pulling on his t-shirt sleeve now and then. It pissed him off, and he didn't understand why she had to be so clingy with him in public. He began to stare at the floor instead, not even really paying attention to the others around him.

"Everything okay?" A voice broke through his thoughts, and he turned to see bright amethyst eyes looking at him with worry.

"huh?"

"You stopped walking..." She pointed out, looked over her shoulder and noticed that he was indeed far behind the group.

"Don't worry about me." Kyo quickly, not realizing at how harsh it came off.

"But I-"

"Go."

"...okay." Marley caught up to Miguel, who had been standing ahead, watching the interaction and waiting. As soon as Marley caught up, the tall man wrapped his arm around and led her forward as her head was turned to the ground.

Kyo wished the ground would swallow him up. He didn't mean to be such an ass.

"Careful." Hatsuharu told him as he combed out his white hair, making sure it was sitting the way he liked it.

"What do you mean?" Kyo asked, turning away and shoving his hands into his pockets.

"just saying. You push her away; you might be pushing her into someone else." he warned before putting away the comb.

"I have no idea what bullshit your spouting over there." Kyo scoffed.

"You guys don't dawdle!" Momiji called from up ahead.

"Somebody in my class told me this place was fun! So, I thought we should all go together!" Momiji announced, still not letting anyone know where he was leading them.

"I can't wait!" Tohru gushed, and soon they turned the corner, and Momiji jumped up and down as he pointed towards the final destination.

"Ah here it is!"

Pictures of ogres and ghosts decorated the storefront, and spooky sounds filled the air. Momiji had brought everyone to a haunted house.

"It looks really fun!" Momiji was bouncing up and down, pure joy surrounding him.

"Oh, a haunted house!" Marley gazed at the display, her heart racing with excitement.

" **I'm confused? A haunted house in summer?** " Miguel raised a brow, but Marley jumped up and realized she could answer this.

" **Oh! Actually, here in Japan, haunted houses are very popular in the summertime. It's to do with doing a 'test of courage' and its thought that being scared gives you a chill and is a way to keep cool in the hot summer..** " The girl explained as she put her hands on her hips. Miguel didn't really seem all that impressed, but Marley certainly seemed proud of herself. She had asked the same question last year and had to look it up on the internet.

"Isn't it exciting?! Let's go!" Momiji cheered as he was ready to storm forward.

"Wait a second, brat!" Kyo called out, stopping Momiji by the shoulder.

"Let's get everyone s opinion before we go waltzing in there... for example Marley-San and Honda-San..." Yuki gestured to the two girls, but Marley was smiling brightly at the haunted house while Tohru was shaking, clearly afraid of going into the haunted attraction.

"She's speechless."

"Ah, Tohru, do you not like haunted houses?" Marley asked as she looked over at her friend.

" **She's terrified. Even I can tell. Let's go do something else.** " Miguel shrugged, not all excited about a haunted house in the summertime, but it seemed wrong.

"okay. Hey, there was a charming café we passed by." Marley had no problem doing something else, especially if Tohru wasn't comfortable.

"I'll do it! I will overcome my fears!" Tohru declared with a determined look on her face, even though she was still clearly scared.

"Are you sure? You don't have to Tohru." Marley tried to maybe talk her out of it, but it seemed her mind was made up.

"I will go in! This is me, going in! Fight! I respectfully ask permission to enter!" Tohru told the ticket counter, and Momiji was cheering, excited that everyone was going to go in.

"Here, take my hand. We'll do this together." Marley offered up her hand to Tohru before they even entered. Tohru was shaking and thanked Marley a thousand times as they held hands and walked into the dark attraction.

Only thirty seconds in and Marley's hand was suffering under Tohru's grip. Momiji and Haru were upfront, not scared of the haunted house at all. Tohru and Marley were in the middle with the rest of the boys bringing up the rear. Miguel was inspecting a puppet that looked like it came from the movie the ring.

.

"It'll be fine Tohru, I'm right here. And it's all props, crafts, paper mache." Marley spoke too soon because the next haunt came in the form of one of Marley's greatest fear.

A snake.

A giant puppet white snake seemed to 'slither' out of the shadows and popped into Marley's face. The white-blonde froze and started at it was like her soul left her body, her eyes glazed over, and she began to fall to the floor.

"Marley!" Everyone seemed to call out, but no one could reach her before she crumpled to the tile floor.

"Marley-" Both Yuki and Kyo moved forward at the same time and freezing when they bumped into each other.

"What the hell? Don't touch me!" Kyo hissed.

"As if I would touch an idiot on purpose. Your stupidity would rub off on me. Your vulgarity too." Yuki spat

"I ain't stupid or vulgar! You're the real horror show here! Why don't you just leave." Kyo yelled

"Probably not the best time, you two." Haru told them, and two rivals stopped and looked over at Marley, who was covering her face, and Miguel was glaring at the boys who had just been arguing.

" **You were standing right there?! Why'd you let her fall!** " Miguel was scolding the Sohma boys as he rushed over and looked over Marley, who was already coming too, but Miguel told her to be careful.

Marley was muttering. It wasn't Japanese or English, so the boys assumed it was her first language, clearly shaken up by the spook.

"it's just a fake one, Marley-Chan. It's okay." Momiji tried to comfort, but Marley was out of it. Miguel sighed and picked up the girl bridal style.

" **Momiji, you're in charge of Tohru.** " Miguel told him as he adjusted a bit and was careful with carrying his friend, still annoyed with the boys who had been standing right there.

Little did Miguel know that had the Sohma boys reached out and caught Marley, they would have 'poofed' into their Zodiac forms, and that would have been a whole other problem.

"Aye Aye! Hold my hand, Tohru! We'll talk together!" Momiji took Tohru's hand, promising he'd look after her.

"You two need to learn how to treat girls! For shame!" The young boy scolded his cousins as he marched off with Tohru, who was still shaking over the house's haunts.

The two actually went quiet, looking to another and then away.

" **Am I too heavy?** " Marley asked as she looked up at her friend. He looked so different, it wasn't just his longer hair or his slightly bigger build. It was something more. They had been apart for a little under 2 years, but it didn't feel like it.

" **Nah. Reminds of that night at E-man's place, you took part in shots and then I had to carry you home.** " He brought, slightly smirking as he remembered Marley's dopey face that night as they hung out with his group of friends.

" **Oh god, don't remind me.** " Marley covered her face, more shameful than before, while Miguel chuckled, continuing to walk through the house with Marley in his arms.

"Are you alright, Marley-Chan?" Tohru opened her eyes, her concern for her friend more potent than her fear.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Tohru. I hope I didn't frighten you." the girl sighed, embarrassed over the turn of events. She was okay with scary stuff to a certain point, but snakes would always be too much for her.

"No! I just hope you're alright." Tohru shook her head, yes, she was still frightened, but Marley was more of a concern right now.

" **We'll go back and head out the way we came, I want to get her some fresh air.** " Miguel told Momiji, knowing that he knew enough English to understand.

" **Miguel, I'm fine.** "

" **You fainted. I'm taking you out.** " Miguel said, leaving no room to argue.

"I'll come too." Momiji insisted, and Marley shook her head.

"No! I don't want you to miss this. Enjoy the haunted house with everyone." Marley patted his head, not wanting to ruin his fun because of her own irrational fears. She felt terrible enough.

Momiji pouted but said that he would enjoy it on her behalf since Marley herself couldn't finish. Marley said that they would meet the others in the hall as Miguel carried her off. The two received a few looks as Miguel came out carrying Marley, but he continued on and walked over a bench to put her down.

" **I'll go grab you some water.** "

" **Wait I'm fine-** " but he was already gone.

Marley wondered if he even had any yen on him. She didn't have too much time to think about til she was met with blazing orange eyes staring into hers.

.

"Yo."

"Kyo? Did you finish the haunted house already?" Marley asked as she looked around for everyone else but he was alone.

"Haru ripped off the head of a prop, and now they're in the office." He shrugged

"What?!"

"It'll be fine. Probably just a slap on the wrist or something, I doubt Haru even cares." Kyo didn't seem concerned for them at all as he sat down on the mall bench next to her.

"So you really hate snakes... Don't you?" Kyo asked, remembering how just the snake on the TV last week was enough to make Marley leave a room.

"It's not that. I don't hate snakes They're actually kind of beautiful in their way I just... when I see one I-"

"Pass out?" Kyo finished for her, and the girl let out a sigh and covered her face again, ashamed.

"Why?" The boy asked, genuinely wondering how something like snakes seems to have such an effect on someone who appeared to be quite fearless when it came to most things. The haunted house hadn't seemed to phase her until it came to the large fake snake.

Marley looked at him, and he just waited, looking at her with eyes that reminded her of marigolds. Vibrant and warm and made her feel right at home.

"Um... Well. When I was a kid. Back when I lived in India. I was playing in the fields behind the house." Marley fidgeted with her fingers, playing with one of her rings as she thought back to how this fear of hers began.

_A young Marley ran through fields, her bare feet enjoying the fresh dirt. Her long-braided hair flew behind her as she ran in out of the tall golden wheat fields._

_A sharp yelp of an animal brought the girl out her of fantasies, and she stopped moving, looking around to see if she could tell where the sound had come from. Her large curious eyes searched, and she peeked around corners._

_Moving the wheatgrass with her little hand, she came across a sight that would haunt her._

_A bottom part of a brown and white goat lay, tangled in something patterned with golds, browns and blacks. The thick rope was wrapped around the goat's body and legs. Marley's eyes travelled up to where the goats' upper body would be was the stretched-out jaws of the snake. Engulfing the small goat._

_Young Marley let out a shrill scream and ran all the way back to her great grandmother's house, crying into her lap about what she had seen. That image stayed with her for many nightmares, and soon instead of the goat's body, Marley would envision her own. Strangled by the snakes' strong body and eaten alive by its jaws._

"..."

"I know... it's stupid." Marley buried her face in her hands, not wanting to see Kyo's judgmental eyes.

"Are you kidding me?! That's terrifying! Your tryna give me nightmares!" Kyo groaned, really not expecting that kind of story and not blaming Marley for her reaction.

"Sorry! I really didn't mean to! I told Mama once, and she laughed and called me silly..." Marley admitted, she really thought that if her Mama didn't find her story all that scary, then surely Kyo wouldn't. But maybe it just took a lot scare, Chandra Bakshi, she was the toughest, strongest woman Marley had ever known.

"Where'd he go?" Kyo now acknowledging that Marley's foreign friend was nowhere to be seen.

"I think he went to go buy me a drink." Marley looked around, but the tall man was nowhere to be seen.

"What do you think of Miguel? Isn't he fun?" Marley thought back to the small water fight antics that had taken place after school. It sure seemed like fun to her.

"HAH?"

"I just thought that you two might get along." Marley smiled, confident that the boys would become quick friends.

"Why?" Kyo glared at the clean mall tile floor, and Marley tilted her head slightly.

"Do you not like him?" Marley asked, genuinely confused over the animosity she was sensing from Kyo.

"I-... It's not that... why does it matter anyway? I don't need to be friends with your boyfriend." Kyo practically spat as he stood up.

"What?" Marley's jaw dropped, not understanding where Kyo would get that from.

"I mean, you're always... hugging him and whatever. You're not very subtle." Kyo turned his back and started to walk away, and the white-blonde eagerly called out for him.

"Miguel is NOT my boyfriend." Marley practically jumped up from her seat on the bench, grabbing Kyo by his arm before he got too far out of her reach.

"Trust me, if I could hug you, I would do it every time I see you." Marley insisted, and Kyo thought his heart was going to jump out of his chest at the bold statement, his jaw dropped, and his face went red. All he could see was Marley's sparkling amethyst eyes framed by her thick eyelashes, her full lips slightly pouted. Kyo finally had to turn his head and stared at the tile floor cause his heart couldn't take much more.

But he didn't leave her hold.

"Don't... You can't say things like that..." Kyo brought his free hand to his face. Honestly not trusting the words that could jump out.

The hell is happening to me?

"Why not? I mean, I wouldn't do it if you... Didn't want me too." Marley realized that maybe... Kyo might not want her to touch him in the first place. A sharp sting hit her, and she let her fingers slide away from Kyo's wrist, her nails brushing against his beads.

.

"I did-" Kyo was interrupted by Momiji, who was quick to grab Marley's hands and looked up at with worry.

"Marley-Chan! Are you okay, right!?"

"I'm fine, Momiji. Is everything okay with the Haru and the mall staff?" Marley asked as she fixed a piece of Momiji's hair. The boy told her that everything was fine and taken care of.

"Let's all go to Shigure's for dinner!" Momiji jumped up and down, excited to eat with his friends.

"Ginger pork." Hatsuharu gave his input again.

"Sorry Momiji, I can't tag along." Marley apologized, and he stared up at her with his big brown eyes.

"Aww, but Marley-Chan!" Momiji whined as he pulled on Marley's skirt. Marley would if she could, but she was going to the hospital with Hatori and Hiro to pick up Isuzu. Even Momiji's large chocolate puppy eyes would stop her from being at her friends' side.

"Ya, brat. She said she can't. Don't be a baby." Kyo scolded, irritated that there always seem to be someone interrupting. Miguel finaly came back, a small water bottle in hand and gave it to Marley.

" **Ginger Pork**." Haru said in English this time, and this made Miguel perk up.

"Aww but don't you want Marley-Chan to come too, Kyo-Kun?" Momiji asked, and Kyo felt like he had been put on the spot. Again.

"What?! The hell do I-"

" **Hey, is it alright if I come? Marley tells me that Tohru's cooking can't be beaten**." Miguel asked. He really liked the sound of ginger pork, and he liked hanging out with Haru and Momiji.

Momiji looked ready to try and talk Marley into tagging along too, but her phone went off, and she excused herself to answer it.

\+ Incoming Call from Hiro +

"Hello?"

"Where are you?! You said you were coming to get Rin. I've got the flowers..." Hiro sounded annoyed on the other end, and Marley hoped they hadn't been waiting for too long.

"AH Thank you so much! Okay. I'm sorry, I'm on the way." Marley apologized to the group for the rushed goodbye and ran off. Heading towards the hospital, excited that her friend finally got to come home.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

The sun had gone down, the day had come to an end. But Marley was still full of energy.

"aww come on, Zuzu! Let me seee!" Marley insisted, her curiosity bursting at what her friend was hiding form her.

"No. It's not done..." Isuzu kept her sketchbook far from Marley, who just pouted. Hiro had spent dinner with her and Isuzu but had left after dessert.

Marley had set up the guest room for Isuzu as she knew that there was no way that Isuzu was going to Kagura's tonight. She had tried to talk her friend into it, mentioning that they were excited to have her back home, but Isuzu would not budge.

A small part of Marley couldn't deny that she was happy that Isuzu wanted to be here. She really felt like the sister Marley never had.

Hatori had to go and lets Kagura and her mother know, and she hoped it hadn't been too awkward or that their feelings weren't hurt.

They were watching a movie that had been playing on TV, some sort of sci-fi move but to be honest, Marley wasn't really paying attention. Her mind was still on the trip to the mall and the odd conversation she had with Kyo, leaving her feeling somewhat self-conscious.

"Hey? Do you think I'm too affectionate?" Marley asked as she thought back to something that Kyo had said.

"You're just that type of person." Isuzu didn't even look away from the screen. Marley wasn't sure how to take that. Was it a bad thing?

"Well Kyo thought that I was too … touchy with Miguel and... I dunno." This made Isuzu turn away to watch Marley instead of the movie.

"Was he mad about it?" She asked. Isuzu had questions about Marley's relationship with Kyo. A large part of her wished that she could steer Marley away from the Cat of the Zodiac, knowing that it couldn't end well, but she wasn't sure how to go about it.

"I don't think he was mad?" Marley thought back. Kyo had seemed... annoyed. Or hurt somehow.

"Hmmm..." Isuzu's eyes watched Marley's every movement, she was looking thoughtfully into her cup of chai, her hands playing with her hair.

"Why should Kyo care about how touchy you are with Miguel." She challenged.

"He thought that Miguel was my boyfriend." Marley mentioned, remembering how he had almost accused her of having a boyfriend and all she wanted to do was yell that it wasn't true.

"Did that bother you?" Isuzu pushed.

_Yes_

It had bothered Marley... but not because that she would be ashamed to have Miguel as a boyfriend. But... then why did it matter?

The sci-fi movie played on in the background, forgotten by both girls who had moved onto more pressing matters at hand. Isuzu wanted to know. Did she have to worry about Kyo and Marley?

"I-…" Marley stopped to try and think, but Isuzu jumped on her with another question.

"Do you ….. have feelings for Kyo?" Isuzu finally asked the question that she had been wondering. She needed to know so she could protect Marley. Because no good could come from this.

"I mean I.- he- Kyo.-.." Even saying his name, Marley found herself smiling and then, she really began to think about the saffron haired boy.

His awkward smile when he was embarrassed. The fire in his eyes when he spoke about his martial arts study. His... ugly cargo pants that he somehow made look good. The way he stood by her side even when she cried over something that many would consider silly.

How worried he had been after the incident with Haru in the classroom. Marley always looked forward to Kyo showing up, and whenever they watched movies together, he had so many questions, and Marley had fun watching him enjoy them. The way his eyes would widen over special effects or shout at characters for making certain choices. How gentle he was.

Her hands went to the black string holding her locket. It was the one that Kyo had put the pendant on. She remembered when he put it on her in the hallway of Shigure's home.

_._

_Kyo lifted the necklace over Marley's head, the locket fell to the center Marley's chest, and she held it in place, delicately tracing the silver pendant. Kyo fingers gently tied the thin black string, his fingers lightly brushed against the nape of her neck, careful not to touch the bandages._

_"There, should do for now," Kyo said as he finished the knot. Marley turned back around and smiled at Kyo, and he couldn't help but notice the small blush on her cheeks in the low light of the hallway or the way her large eyes seemed to slightly sparkle like gemstones and Kyo felt his breath get caught in his throat, his own face going slightly red._

_"It's perfect. Thank you." Marley tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and Kyo just rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of what more he could say to those bright amethyst eyes without looking like an idiot._

_"Oh, I almost forgot!" Marley reached for the marigold that was still neatly behind her ear and pulled it out, comparing the warm orange petals to Kyo's saffron locks._

_"Pretty close actually, though I think I have to admit... your hair is much prettier." Marley marvelled as she tucked the stem carefully behind Kyo's right ear and smiled. She was about to bring her hand back, but Kyo caught her hand in his, gently holding it in place next to his cheek. The girl raised an eyebrow at the boy's unusual behaviour but didn't want to ruin the moment and found herself gently laying her palm on his face. Feeling like time had stopped, and the simplest movement could ruin it._

_Saffron eyes looked into hers with so much gentleness and care that she was brought back to the night before, where he had called out her name with such care, and she hoped he would say it more. The way he had started to embrace her, carefully cradling the back of her head._

_"You really are something else..." He mused as he tilted his head to the side and smiled at her, a genuine smile that didn't grace Kyo's face enough, and it was truly a shame because that smile made her heart race in the best of ways._

.

"Oh..." Marley let out the smallest sound as she held a hand over her heart, her face flushing over the memory. Isuzu watched as Marley's face softly blushed and the gentle smile that graced her lips.

"Look. Whatever your feeling. Don't." Isuzu ordered, and Marley came right out of her contemplating and stared at Isuzu, a flash of hurt in her eyes. Isuzu could almost hear the shatter of her heart, but this was the best way. It was the only way.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but he's a Zodiac Member. It'll be nothing but trouble. I don't know what's going on, but you need to stop. You two can't be together." Isuzu wished she had better words; she struggled with her own heart, and that state it was in. And she didn't want Marley to get hurt. Not by Kyo. Not by Akito. Not by anyone.

But Isuzu's words cut deep. Marley wasn't a Zodiac member. She was the outsider who didn't belong. Marley doubted Kyo even saw her that way. The foreigner knew that Kyo thought that she was weird and childish. He probably saw her as annoying, and apparently, he also thought she was too affectionate. A sharp feeling settled in her chest.

"Don't worry... I doubt he sees me like that anyway." Marley tried to joke, waving off Isuzu's worry.

"And besides... I pretty sure Kagura shove my body into oncoming traffic." Marley smiled, and the Zodiac Member rolled her eyes. That was something else that hurt. Kyo had someone like Kagura who loved him. Who could understand him in ways Marley could never, and she was small and cute.

_And Kagura would be able to hold him._

"I'm going to bed... okay... goodnight." Marley choked out, pulling together a smile as she left the room. Isuzu knew that Marley was upset but didn't feel like she had the right to comfort her. Especially since she was the one who had given the girl the wake-up call. Whatever it took. Isuzu would do it.

Marley didn't even bother washing her face or change into PJs. She just dropped on her bed.

_"You two can't be together."_

Those words seem to echo off the wall, and Marley's mind was racing. Or maybe it was her heart. Whatever it was, she could hear a pounding as she curled into herself.

_Oh... oh, no..._

_Dammit_

Her heart, which had just been elated moments ago and gone through a 180 shifted, and Marley felt like she lost something before even getting a chance.

.

.

.

.

To be Continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> Song: KPOP song: Hip - MAMAMOO (watched the choreo minny park x lia kim)
> 
> BOLD - speaking in English
> 
> Sorry, can't think of any other note ATM
> 
> .
> 
> .
> 
> .
> 
> Guys... its been 1 years since I started writing this Fruits Basket Fan Fiction... 1 year and more than 300,000 words later... and ... are we even half way? No, I don't think so XD.
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments and kudos! I am so grateful and it really just makes my heart soar when I get a notification. It makes me so happy.
> 
> I changed a lot in this chapter and looking forward to what is to come. Summer vacation is finally here and ... WOW... wow.
> 
> Wow... so I really didn't expect Marley to make any of those realizations til later but it just seemed to flow well with having Isuzu there and being worried and what not.
> 
> Soooooooo, how is this going to proceed hmmmmmm.
> 
> ANd Kyo... man... you so dense... like so is Marley sometimes when it comes to herself but... Kyo... come on.
> 
> Miguel might have actually helped these two along and have no clue... how is he gonna feel about it?
> 
> Isuzu... I know you have good intentions at heart but, wow. That sharp of tongue of her can really do some damage.
> 
> Thank you again! Hope you liked it and please let me know your thoughts, it really does help to motivate me.
> 
> and ALSO... I really would like to get art with Marley commissioned but if you guys have any ideas or certain scenes you want brought to life then please leave a comment or DM on my Tumblr.


	9. It's Been A Long, Long Time

.

.

Marley watched food cooking on the stove, but her eyes glazed over as she looked down at the roti. Her mind still trying to wrap around her the conversation with Isuzu, and since then, the black-haired beauty had seemed to disappear. Isuzu was a complicated person, and Marley had been kept busy with other stuff to really give it much thought. And maybe a small part of Marley was hurt by her friend's words concerning Marley's feelings towards the boy cursed with the Cat's spirit.

How long had she left this way, when did it start?

The first time she had even heard about Kyo was through Kagura. After the girl had basically tackled Marley into the dirt, by mistake. The white-blonde had walked the distraught stranger at the time to her home and sat her down with a comforting cup of chai and tissues, and Marley was told about the boy that would soon become a massive part of her life.

Kagura had gone on a ramble about how much she loved this boy. Speaking so quickly that Marley honestly had trouble keeping up. It was... amazing how many things she could list, good and bad. Marley finally asked how the two met, and it finally made the love-struck girl take a moment, even going a little quiet as she thought back.

_._

_"When we were kids, I found him drawing a fried egg in the dirt." She was smiling at the fond childhood memory._

_"Fried eggs? interesting choice." Marley giggled, thinking of her own odd choices that she would draw in the dirt, flowers, cows, sometimes just random shapes when she lived back at grandmother's farm._

_"He didn't have anyone else to play with because... well, I asked if he wanted to play with me, and I promised I would always be by his side." She said a last little bit more quietly, bringing her hand to her chest and smiling genuinely into her cup of chai._

_"He's a bit of an angry grump these days... he wasn't always like that... he is.. kind of awkward but a gentle person." She let out a sigh... there was a lot more hiding behind her brown eyes, but all Marley saw was the adoration for the boy she spoke off._

_"You're very lucky," Marley admitted, a bit jealous that someone close to her age was already so in love._

_"Why?" She asked._

_"Well, I don't think I've ever felt so strongly about someone. Not romantically, at least. Back in Vegas, my friends would date, and they would go on about their significant others, but well... That never really happened for me..." Marley was usually so busy with everything else in her life that she didn't socialize all that much._

_"But hearing you talk about how much you love this boy. All the stuff you can list... I hope I find a love like that, and I hope I can be accepting of the good and the bad, like you. "Marley spoke softly as she smiles down at her now empty cup of chai, thinking of the love that her parents had. The love that she sincerely hoped to find one day._

_"I hope I can be as passionate as you when the day comes that I let love in." Marley quipped, smiling over at the girl, and the short girl couldn't believe a stranger could make her feel so validated and safe with just a look._

_She then started crying again and dragged the newly adopted Sohma into a bone-crushing hug. Marley couldn't believe that this girl, who was 5 inches shorter than her, was so strong and definitely wouldn't want to be on her bad side._

_"I'm Kagura. Thank you for taking care of me. Sorry for troubling you..." Kagura looked like she was about to start crying again, and Marley quickly jumped in, consoling her and introducing herself all in one breath as she tried to come up with something to cheer the somewhat emotional girl up._

_"How about this, as a welcome back you cook him a nice meal. That's the old go-to, right? The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I'm sure it would make him happy." Marley was trying to give Kagura idea's to show her love to her beloved fiancé._

_Though it was not something that worked for her own parents, Marley's mother was certainly not known for her kitchen skills. Which is why her grandmother had taught Marley everything she knew. Well, that and watching cooking shows._

_"YES! That's also a great idea to show off my future wife skills!" She pumped her fist and stood up. Marley could just imagine flames of passion burning all around her and knew that this was a woman who was on a mission._

_"Only thing... I don't know how to cook." She admitted, going back to a dark place in her mind, any determination she had was gone, and Marley couldn't stop herself from reaching out and trying to do something to help._

_"I'm about to get started on dinner, how about you help and you can learn along the way?" I suggested as I got up and headed to the kitchen, pulling my hair up into a tight ponytail. Looking forward to getting to know a new friend better. Kagura's large eyes lit up at the suggestion._

_"Thank you, thank you thank you!" Her mood changed again as she got excited to learn to cook for 'her man,' and Marley could only smile at her enthusiasm, completely understanding the joy that came from cooking for the people you love._

.

Back then, Marley never imagined that the boy Kagura gushed over would become such a huge part of her own life.

That had been the start of Kagura and Marley's friendship. Even though it certainly had its bumps and Kagura's temper tantrums had her banned from Dadaji's home due to her breaking one too many appliances... Marley still considered Kagura, a friend. The emotionally turmoiled teenager let out a sigh and wondered how Kagura would react if anyone had feelings for Kyo.

_Probably thrash them... that girl is terrifyingly passionate._

Marley was trying to work through the feelings in her heart, and she already felt like she had somehow betrayed Kagura.

Maybe that's why there had been such a disappointment in Isuzu's eyes last night. Her and Kagura were Zodiac members and were family, so perhaps she was looking out for Kagura and telling Marley to back off.

The teenage girl thought back on past boys that she had thought she had liked, to try and maybe figure out the storm that was happening in her heart.

She remembered, back in middle school, there was a boy who Marley thought was just so cool and made her little heart race. Chris Daniels, he was a cute boy with freckles who was really good at soccer and owned a spiderman keychain. Marley thought he was so sweet and confessed to him through a letter. He told the entire class, and Marley was the laughing stock of her entire grade. The girls in class even did a Valentines' prank. It had been cruel, and it made Marley convince herself that romance might not be for her.

Then Miguel came along. He had been such a valuable friend; He had been her first real friend, and her high school life would have been so lonely without him. Miguel loved her. He had been in love with her. Marley loved him. Thought that she could be in love with him and wanted to make him happy.

_But you can't force feelings._

And in the end, it hurt him more than anything, and Marley wished that she had handled the whole situation better than she did.

Marley partly convinced herself that since she hadn't fallen in love with Miguel, who was such a wonderful person, handsome and hardworking. Then maybe she wasn't made for love at all.

The girl flipped the roti and watched it as she continued to think, but she felt she was just making herself more unsure. She wished that she could just talk to her Mama and wondered what she would have to say. Marley tried to picture the look on her face or even her voice, but her head started to hurt the more she tried to force something.

_Maybe I'm just overthinking it, I mean. Kyo is wonderful, kind, and driven and handsome and -_

.

"Oi! What are you doing?!" A voice broke through Marley's thoughts and brought her back to the kitchen.

"Huh?" Marley turned and was met with the very boy she was just thinking off, his eyes looking at her and standing so close that she swore she could smell a slight tinge of minty toothpaste.

"It's burning." Kyo was pointing at the round flatbread on the cast iron tawa that was smoking.

"AYE HAYE!" Marley jumped picked up the roti with her fingers, slightly singing her fingertips as she threw the flatbread on a plate... and indeed, the poor roti was burnt, already too past to be brought back. And her fingers were now stinging.

"WHAT THE HELL! Why would you pick up with your fingers?!" Kyo scolded as he immediately ran the tap and grabbed Marley's hand, running her fingers under the cold water. His own hand cradling hers to keep it under the cold water.

"Ah, S-sorry. I just panicked..." Marley stuttered, her face red, honestly barely feeling the sting of her fingers and instead, she only felt Kyo's gentle hands on her as he moved her hand from the water and looked at the tips himself.

"Just... be careful..." Kyo shook his head, really not know what to say the girl. Between Tohru being clumsy and Marley being somewhat of a space cadet, he felt he had his work cut out with trying to look out for the kind-natured girls.

"Right."

"Keep that under for a bit. Where're the bandages?"

"Oh, um, the cupboard by the fridge." Marley nodded her head, and Kyo immediately found them, bringing out the small first aid and put it at the kitchen table.

He came back and turned off the sink, grabbing a towel and drying off Marley's hand. She stayed in auto-pilot, wondering if she said the wrong thing, then the moment would be gone.

"Sit down," Kyo ordered as he sat her down at the small kitchen table and brought his chair to sit by her.

The intense look in the burning orange eyes as they looked over Marley's hand, gentle and kind, but there was such strength in those hands, the calluses and scars from hard training. He certainly looked very serious.

"Soo... how does it look, doctor?" Marley couldn't help herself, even biting her lip to try and keep herself from smiling too big.

"Hah?!"

"Do you think we should amputate?" The girl asked, a small cheeky smile on her lips, and Kyo gave a look that read 'really?' before shaking his head at her.

"You're such a weirdo." He chuckled as he started wrapping the white bandages around the finger and thumb tip that had been slightly singed.

Marley only giggled, and Kyo finished his handy work; his brow furrowed in concentration, and he would tell her to shush, which made Marley try to put on a serious face, and Kyo told her to stop which caused Marley to giggle.

"Wow, Kyo. That's amazing." Marley admired his work, how professionally done the bandages were.

"Its nothing..." Kyo brushed off the praise, but he still had a small blush on his cheeks over the praise.

"No, it's not nothing. Thank you so much." Marley continued, and she gave him a beautiful smile that only made him blush more, but he covered the lower half of his face with his hand.

"Um, I was just making some breakfast." Marley pointed out.

"I saw that." Kyo teased, and Marley lightly blushed and insisted she only burnt the one thing. All the other food was unburnt, and Marley invited him to stay for breakfast.

Kyo helped her put out everything, and Tetsuo walked into the living room to see everything ready to go.

"Looks great, Marley." He complimented as he sat himself down.

"Aw, thank you, Dadaji. Kyo helped" Marley smiled as she placed the cups of chai, and Tetsuo teasing thanked Kyo as well who just scoffed and waved him off.

"Thank you for the meal." The three put their hands together in a prayer position and then dug in.

"Its been a while since you made an Indian breakfast." Her Dadaji pointed out before taking a sip of tea.

"Ya, was just kind of craving it." Marley shrugged.

"Plans for the day?"

"Ah, I'm showing Miguel around, gonna do some exploring around Akihabara and Shibuya if he's up for it," Marley said as she served her Grandfather some food, and he grabbed some roti from the center of the table.

"It will be so crowded. You sure you'll be okay? I can send a car for you-"

"No, no, I'm going to take the train in, it will be fine. But thank you, Dadaji." And he nodded before turning his attention back to some documents as he ate. Work never seemed to end for the respected member of the Sohma clan.

"You hanging out with that guy again?" Kyo asked before stuffing a piece of roti into his mouth.

"Yep Oh, Kyo? Would you like to come? It should be lots of fun." Marley invited

"No. It'll be too crowded or whatever for me." Kyo shrugged, but he seemed a little on edge to Marley for whatever reason.

"Oh. Right..." Kyo wasn't a huge fan of crowds, and being a Zodiac member would be stressful in a space full of people.

"I gotta go. Thanks for the food. Have a good day with Miguel. And try to be careful." Kyo gestured to her burnt fingers.

"Oh, um, you have a good day too." Her large eyes watched as Kyo gave her a small smile before walking out of the garden and over the Sohma Estate Wall. Marley looked back down at her hands, gazing at white bandages on her fingertips before placing her hand over her heart, feeling it beat rapidly as her cheeks reddened, thinking of his gentle hands.

_It's nothing... just the heat..._

Tetsuo's dark eyes had watched the interaction, looking at his granddaughter's somewhat flushed face. The Elder knew that this was something he wasn't 'thrilled' about, but he would try to keep his somewhat protective nature in check until he could no longer stand by. Till then, he would just keep watch and try to enjoy the fact that his granddaughter was growing up.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

Shigure was waving himself with a fan, the summer heat already hitting hard, even in the morning hours. The slamming of the front door was heard, and stomping came through the house.

"Your back early?" The Dog of the Zodiac pointed out to the orange-haired teenager with a scowl on his face. It was hard not to notice that the already somewhat temperamental teen was in a foul mood this past week. Shigure had an inkling to why and honestly was just enjoying watching the drama.

Shigure had to get his kicks from somewhere.

"What's it to ya." Kyo grumbled as kicked off his shoes, and while Shigure couldn't know for sure, he had a feeling that his mood could be due to a certain sun-kissed girl.

"Tsk Tsk. Summer Vacation has barely started, and you're already wasting it, Kyo. You kids are lucky to have summer vacation! Once you become an adult, that's just a dream within a dream!" Shigure teased.

"SHUT UP! You're on vacation all fuckin' year around! Work for once!" Kyo yelled at him

"Wahh Kyo! Your so mean! Been in such a bad mood lately." Shigure tsked at him, shaking his head in disappointment, and this got Kyo more stirred up. Tohru piped up that was excited about summer vacation, but it came with its share of work. More precisely: Summer Homework.

"You should just copy the bright and flawless Yuki-Kun's homework," Shigure suggested and this cause Tohru to started shaking her hands and head, outrightly denying the suggestion.

"I couldn't do that!"

"HAH! Flawless my ass! What is he, a robot? That's creepy. I'm telling you, he's a boring stiff-" Kyo began was soon kicked off the porch, sending him flying into the ground on the garden.

"It's better than being stupid..." Yuki scoffed as he brought his leg down from the kick he just delivered and straighten out his tie.

"YOU ASSHOL! FACE ME FAIR AND SQUARE, YOU COWARD!" Kyo jumped up, ready for a fight, and Yuki only threw him a cold glare, calling him an idiot.

The two began bickering, but Shigure intervened by commenting on Yuki, who was wearing his uniform.

"Yeah... The new council is taking over things from the old one... we're behind on a lot of things, so there's a lot of stuff to get organized before the new term." Yuki explained and then turned to Tohru.

"Well, I'll be back before dinner... So, see you later." Yuki smiled down at her, and she saw him off with a bright smile.

"Right! See you later!" That smile gave Yuki a little strength to hopefully deal with whatever the Student Council had for him.

Yuki walked along the familiar path, trying to shake off Kyo words, but they were ringing out. His insecurities swirling in his head.

_._

_Boring stiff..._

"Tell me something I don't know..." He muttered to himself, a grimace on his face as he walked along the road, hardly paying attention to the beautiful morning.

"Yuki!"

The grey-haired boy was brought out of his thoughts and met the sight of Marley, half of her long hair up in two buns and the rest flowing freely as she wore a summery blue dress that reached her mid-thigh.

"Ah. Marley-San. Good morning." Yuki greeted her, and he watched as her eyes scanned up and down his body.

"Is something... wrong?" Yuki asked, feeling self-conscious under her gaze.

"You're in uniform... aren't we on summer vacation?" She asked as she crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"Ah, yes, don't worry, we are. I have to meet with the student council, so I'm heading to school." He explained, and she looked relieved at the answer.

"Oh. I panicked there for a second." Marley put a hand over her heart as she let out a big sigh.

"You look very lovely, Marley-San. Where are you off too?" Yuki half expected Marley to blush over the compliment as most girls tended to do, but she just threw him a kind smile and thanked him, and Yuki was the one who felt a small blush.

"I'm heading to the train station, meeting up with Miguel and showing him around, he wants to go to this umm... Akihabara and then we'll head to Shibuya, hopefully we'll get a cool picture of the crossing and take a photo with the Hachiko statue." Marley explained, looking forward to seeing the sights as well. Miguel was excited to check out Akihabara, he didn't look like it at first, but he was actually really big on anime, so he was looking forward to seeing all the shops and maybe grabbing a figure. One of his tattoo sleeves had a lot of anime characters illustrated in the design.

Marley had no idea what any of the characters were of what they were from, but they looked really cool, and Miguel loved them.

"That sounds like fun," Yuki commented.

"Would you like to come along?" Marley offered as she stopped to look at a few flowers, admiring the iris flowers' jewel tone.

"Student council. The new one is talking over after the break, so there is a lot of work to do."

"Ah, right, you just said that, sorry." Marley let out an embarrassed laugh as a small blush appeared on her cheeks, and Yuki tried not to laugh.

"How was dinner the other night? Miguel was saying he had fun." Marley mentioned.

"yes, He and Shigure seemed to get along a bit, but perhaps that's just because they were able to speak in English... plus he certainly was able to put away a lot of food." The house was undoubtedly loud with all the guests, and it was a little much, but it plain to see that Miguel was a pretty laid back and everyone seemed pretty drawn to him.

He was one of those guys that made Yuki feel small as he was bright and made people laugh. Tohru was even talking with him. Her English skills were getting visibly better the more they spoke, and Haru and Miguel already seemed to have some sort of secret language as they would get into it about music preferences.

"Yeah, he's always been an eater, you never have to worry about leftovers when he's around." Marley joked as she knew very well about the tall boy's appetite.

"But... I'm glad that he had a good time with your guys, and thank you for having him." Marley thanked him, and Yuki couldn't help but smile back.

The two continued walking and chit-chatting as they walked along till they came to the school entrance. A few female students who had club events wished him good morning and even had a quick chat with Marley. Yuki watched how easily she chatted with people, making them smile and laugh.

The girls gushed over Marley's outfit, and they asked if she was going on a date, and she just laughed and insisted she just felt like looking cute as she slightly twirled in the dress, and the girls giggled. They schoolmates moved on as Marley waved at them as they walked into the school gates.

"Good luck with the student council Yuki. I'm sure you have a good team." Marley gave his hand a quick squeeze, and Yuki froze at the tender touch, but her warmth was comforting. Marley sometimes shined so brightly that he felt like her sunshine was lighting him up too. He thanked her, and she let go and walked down the road.

Yuki watched as she walked away, the sun shining off her long white-blonde hair. The grey-haired boy took a deep breath and continued into the school, feeling a bit better after speaking with the optimistic beauty.

.

Yuki slid open the door to the student council room and was met with an odd sight. A girl was surrounded by papers and folders on the ground, she was huffing and puffing as if she had just run a marathon.

The confused boy's hand rattled against the door, causing the girl's eyes to flash to him and then she shot up.

"Excuse me, I'll clean up." She quickly muttered as she walked across the room.

_Who is she? Did she trash the room?_

"Ah. Are you not feeling well... or something?" Yuki reached out, but she jumped from him.

"I'm fine...please... Wait." Her face was turned towards the ground as she addressed him, and Yuki slightly panicked that he had something wrong, but he had no time to really think about it as the mysterious girl opened another door.

"Manabe. Manabe, wake up."

"hmm, wake me up if its an alien..." Yuki heard and slightly peeked over to see someone lounging on a couch.

"Sohma Yuki is here." She told him, and Yuki watched as the boy turned his head towards the door, and his dark eyes locked onto Yuki's form.

"Waaaaa!" The boy yelped in surprise.

"Huh?" Yuki watched as the dark-haired boy hustled to get off the couch, muttering things as he cleaned himself up and entered the main room.

"Whoa! What a mess! Machi! Are you up to your old bad habits again?! Put everything back where you found it." He ordered, but he didn't seem to be all that phased by the state of the room.

"Ah, right!"

"Uh?!"

"I'm Kakeru! 'Man' plus 'Abe' spells Manabe for Kakeru Manabe! People call me all sorts of things like 'Manabe' or 'Manabe-Kun' or 'Nabe-Kun' or 'Kakeru' or 'hey, you over there.' Anyway, just call me whatever. I prefer you to call me 'Sho.' Nobody ever calls me that."

"..Um." Yuki could only watch blankly.

"Ah! No, need, it's fine. I know who you are without an introduction. You're Yuki Sohma. I'm a second year in class A. No need to be polite. And that's Machi Kuragi, first year." The boy gestured to the girl who was now picking up books off the floor.

"Well, I said everything I wanted to say, and now I'm sleeeeepy!" The boy yawned, and Yuki could feel himself losing his patience.

"Wait... Would you at least tell me who you people are?" Yuki clenched his fist slightly as he politely let out his words.

"I just said I'm Manabe-" He started again, but Yuki had enough.

"That's not what I mean!" Yuki raised his voice, getting frustrated with this boy that somehow reminded him of someone.

"Manabe... You didn't tell him we're new members." The girl told him, and that seemed to make a light bulb go off.

"Ah, right! I'm the vice president! And Machi here has been appointed treasurer! In other words, we're directly under you, the new president of the student council! So, as I was saying, I'm looking forward to working with you!" The loud boy who eerily reminded him of his older brother announced, and Yuki felt a shudder, realizing he was stuck with him.

_…... Marley was wrong... this is going to be hell..._

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Out of nowhere, Marley felt a slight shiver as if someone was glaring at her.

"You okay?" Miguel asked as he watched the girl's expression changed suddenly. Marley simply looked around but didn't see anyone giving her a stink eye or anything. People were staring, but that was expected as she stood out a bit, especially now that she was with another tall foreigner, but no one was glaring at the two.

_Must be my imagination_

"oh, nothing, I just got a weird chill was all." She waved it off and then brought out her phone and gestured Miguel to get in for a selfie.

"Cheese!" Two old friends took a selfie Infront of cartoon statue sitting out an arcade. Marley wasn't sure what the character was, but Miguel had seemed excited about it.

"I still can't get over how long your hair has gotten." Marley awed at Miguel's shoulder-length locks as she quickly checked the picture and sent it off to his sister.

"Maybe I'm just trying to catch up to you." He joked as he rubbed the top of her hair, thankfully not ruining the hairstyle Marley had done before leaving the house this morning.

"Hey, this takes a lot of work." Marley laughed as she slightly stepped away and out of his reach. Miguel looked at her from where he stood. He didn't know what it was, but something was different. Something was there that simply wasn't there before.

They explored the busy area, anime and manga related stuff was everywhere, and it all seemed very exciting. There was even a large multi-story arcade that Marley and Miguel spent some time in. Marley lost most of the games, but it turns out she wasn't half bad at a drum rhythm game and even won a small white cat plushie from a crane game.

Miguel started to get hungry, and after a bit of convincing on Marley's end, they ended up at conveyer belt style sushi restaurant, and the staff was impressed with the piling plates Infront of the handsome man. The two decided to finish up in Akihabara and head towards the chain to head over to Shibuya crossing.

The brown-skinned beauty slightly walked ahead as she looked around, taking in all the sights, a smile on her face, her long hair swaying behind her. Miguel was enjoying the day by his old friend, but something just felt different. Maybe her hair had gotten longer. Had she gotten taller?

Marley turned to point something out to him, but he just watched her face as she spoke. Her lips had some gloss to them, her eyes lined in dark, winged eyeliner, and there seemed to be some sort of sparkle to her. She looked stunning, and she was smiling right at him. But something just didn't sit right with Miguel. Something was pissing him off.

"Miguel, look, look, look. Is this that cartoon you like?" Marley pointed at one of the many white toy machines that seemed to be everywhere in the city.

"You say it like it's a baby show or something- oh sick, that's cool." Miguel came and checked out the machine that Marley had pointed out.

"Let's get some! Maybe you'll get lucky, which character are you hoping for?" She asked as she popped in some coins and turned the dial, waiting for an orb to pop down the slide.

"As long as it's not the old pervert man, I'm happy." Marley handed him the gacha and watched as he tried to open it.

"The fuck? Who- are- they trying to keep out of these things." Miguel's large hands struggled with the small orb.

"Here." Marley simply popped it open and handed the small treasure of the character that Miguel really liked it.

"Momiji and I get them all the time, so we are kind of pros at it," Marley explained as she looked over the various gacha machines.

"We are collecting these ones right now, maybe I should grab a few, and we can open them together later. Oh, and Zuzu won't admit, but she really likes the Pokémon ones. She always gets mad when she gets the Pikachu one, though. Oh, and Hiro and Kisa like these characters, they watch the anime together, it's so cute." Marley was rambling on, and she put in coins and was collecting a bunch of plastic orbs. Was she taller now? Was that what was different.

No, it wasn't that. Her hair hardly looked any different, and Marley had always been on the tall side for a girl, but Marley certainly seemed a bit more confident now. She used to seem a bit more... shy or uncertain when she had lived back in Vegas.

What else was different?

Her body had filled out a bit, Marley had always been beautiful in Miguel's eyes, but now she looked like a grown woman. She looked more like her mother now feature-wise, but Marley still had a softness to her.

His eyes trailed down to the neckline of her dress, just above her bust and spotted a light-coloured scar that was almost white in contrast to her bronze skin. He was reminded of the reason she was here in a foreign country in the first place, the reason she was so far away.

Miguel found himself reaching out, grabbing her free hand, and she seemed to almost jump before looking at him, but Miguel was looking down at their connected hands.

"Everything okay?" She asked, and Miguel made an excuse that he was just looking at her ring and inspected the small gem ring before letting go of her hand.

Her skin was so warm, but it hadn't been like that before. Marley's skin used to be cold to the touch, and they used to joke about it. It didn't seem something to joke about now, especially when he now knew the reason that her skin had been cold.

_Her heart... She was essentially dying right in from of me, and I didn't see it_

Even when he held her in his arms, flesh to flesh. His own body had been on fire, but he hadn't been paying attention to her and what she needed. How much had he looked past just because he was happy to be with her? And when he realized what had been wrong, she was gone. Lost to a whole new world that he was having trouble getting grips with.

Was there ever a chance? Had he been foolish? Dreaming that if he came here, Marley would just be happy with seeing him. Perhaps he had hoped that... Just maybe something could happen between them.

But Marley had made it clear that nothing could. And Miguel had to learn to accept that.

_Or cut all ties_

It wasn't that Miguel wasn't happy to see her. He was. He was relieved to Marley see healthy, alive. But... it did leave an ugly feeling seeing her so happy with people that didn't include him.

"oh my god, I gotta send a picture of this one to Kyo." Marley laughed as she took a picture of a machine that seemed to have little karate fighting cats, the giant smile on her face and the very glow that appeared to come from her skin. She even put in a few coins and turned the dial, excited about ninja cat figure she would get.

Marley smiled so brightly and practically seemed to glow. As if the world hadn't taken away those she held dear. How can anyone deal with all that and then come out the other side and smile that way? Was being here on the other side of the world that great? Where her 'new' friends that special to her?

"Oh look, they have some cool looking car ones too-" Marley started to ask, but as she looked over at Miguel, his eyes seemed to be staring blankly at her, a certain sad glaze to his green eyes.

.

"You sure you're alright?" Marley asked, her large eyes looking up at him with concern, but he seemed to blow her off.

"Nothing... I'm just kind of beat." Miguel lied as an uncomfortable ball he felt in his stomach started to travel up his throat.

"We can head back; we have lots of time to explore before summer vacation ends... ah, but we have to head to a different station to head back," Marley suggested. Miguel nodded, already turning around and heading towards the train stop they had gotten off at. Marley purchased one last gacha before running and catching up, falling in step beside him towards. He looked over and watched as she sent a few pictures off.

"Oh! Right I keep meaning to show you. Look how sweet Kisa looks, she got her first sent of pointe shoes." Marley gushed as she showed Miguel a picture of her and the younger girl in ballet wear, and both girls were en point at the ballet bar, a gentle smile on Marley's face while Kisa's face was clearly concentrating.

_Maybe somethings hadn't changed?_

"So. You're coming back, right?" Miguel tested, still somewhat hopeful that maybe things could go back to before, except this time he could do better. He would be better.

"What do you mean?" The girl asked, slightly tilting her head as she looked up at him, looking downright adorable, and Miguel smiled.

"Back to Nevada. Or like.. America in general, I guess. After graduation... Your gonna go to college in the states, right?" The boy put it out there because it just seemed natural that it would be her choice. She was still heavily invested in dance, and it was always she talked about back before.

"Well, no. I don't think so. I mean I do want to visit one day but I -"

"You said you wanted to go to college in New York. And what about your ballet? All those hours what? Just throwing them away? I thought that was one of your dreams to be in a company and-" It was like the final straw he tried to grasp on, and it wasn't there.

"Miguel, that was…. A long time ago. I still love dance, but- things have changed." She tried to explain. Marley wasn't sure what her after school plans were, but she knew that her Grandfather was leaning her towards some kind of leadership position, but he wanted her to want it. Tetsuo was trying to give her space while also giving her some guidance. But Marley didn't see her future-self becoming prima-ballerina.

"They sure have." He scoffed, and Marley felt the good mood die.

"Excuse me?" Marley felt like he was pointing a finger at her, but she couldn't understand why.

"It just... you seemed like you really moved on fast." He glared at the ground.

"What do you mean?" Marley asked as if she was completely oblivious, and just like that, Miguel felt the dam that he had been trying to build... break. And he knew it was going to be a disaster, but nothing could stop it.

"Come on. I mean... you just buried them what? Last year? Yet you seem right at home with this 'new' family, which isn't even yours. You don't belong here. How can you be this 'happy' after everything? Your smiling and laughing as if...Makes me think like you never cared about us in the first place." The words spilling from Miguel like vomit, and nothing could stop it. Not even the hurt look in Marley's eyes.

Has this been on Miguel's mind for a while?

"Of course, I care! Yes, I know I have a new life here, and I love them, but you're my family too-"

"Whatever, coming here was a bad idea. Take the train without me... I'll walk back." Miguel turned away, and Marley watched as he marched off, and she couldn't move. Frozen to the spot as she thought of his words that had hit her like ice water. A shock to the system.

Marley rode the remotely empty train and took a seat near the far end. Leaning her head against the window, patiently waiting for her stop. The day certainly hadn't gone as she imagined.

Marley got off at her stop and walked through the familiar streets. The girl still felt like she was dragging around a large boulder, and it was getting heavier and heavier with every step.

Feeling an uncomfortable lump in her throat that when she tried to swallow, it only hurt. She could feel the tears prickling at her eyes and the clench at her heart. Marley could feel she was bout to cry, and she didn't want to worry her Grandfather with more tears. Marley couldn't go home, she needed to go elsewhere.

She found herself at the dance rehearsal space in the Sohma Estate, and thankfully, it was utterly deserted. No was crazy enough to dance in this summer heat.

But Marley hardly felt the heat at the moment, all she felt was the lump in her throat. She slipped off her shoes and sneaked insides the clean studio, turning on the lights and slipping off her dress without a care as she wore simple black shorts underneath and a white tank top.

Marley felt that storm of feelings in her chest and didn't know what all of them were. Right when she thought she had gotten her footing, something seemed to rip the rug right out from under her. And she felt like she hurt others in ways that she never intended.

So much had changed, and she had been through a lot, but she was happy at the end of the day as she was thankful for the blessings she had received. But was that okay? Was she not allowed?

Marley looked at the mirror that covered the back wall, eyeing the white surgery scar on her chest. The strong heartbeat thumping inside. A heart that was not hers, not initially. It came at a cost. The straight, clean line that had healed, but it still hurt now and then. She had caught Miguel staring at a few times, but he didn't say anything. Had he hated it? The girl took off her locket and placed it with her other belongings before walking over to the speaker system, swiping through her music and waited for something to click. Anything.

She knew in her head that Miguel was just hurt and that he was projecting onto her. But it didn't mean that it didn't hurt that he thought she didn't care about him or she wasn't mourning the loss of her parents.

He didn't know that at family dinners or gatherings, whenever someone said something funny or a particular song played, she would turn to the left expecting to see her parents, but they weren't there.

No one knew that whenever she learned something new at dance or felt like she did something really well, she went to her phone and wanted to call her mother to let her know.

It was a secret that when she watched the stars, she always had a one-sided conversation with her father about a recent movie she watched.

Marley didn't want anyone to know because she didn't want those looks of pity that people would give her when they learned that both of the parents had been taken away from her in an accident. Nor did she want the Sohma's to worry about her, she didn't to cause any more trouble.

There were times she wanted to talk to her Dadaji about the hurt in her heart, but she knew he could become... uncomfortable when it came to her being emotional. Typically leading to him trying to buy her something. It wasn't Tetsuo's fault, he tried, and Marley could see that. But she didn't need things.

Shuffling from song to song, something new to her library flowed through the speakers and filled the room. Slow, mournful notes that made Marley sway her body lightly to the tune.

_._

_Yelling at the sky_

_Screaming at the world_

_Baby, why'd you go away?_

_I'm still your girl_

_Holding on too tight_

_Head up in the clouds_

_Heaven only knows_

_Where you are now_

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

The sky bled orange and yellow as the long summer day started to wind down. Kids began returning home for dinner, and the night crickets were starting to come out.

"I went to the dojo, and Kyo wasn't even there," Kagura whined like a child, throwing in a pout as she walked with her fellow Zodiac members.

"a mystery." Haru simply said as he walked with his fellow Zodiac member.

"But you two looked really cool in training!" Momiji piped up as he had tagged along with Haru today.

Kagura began to complain a bit more about Kyo's absence, but Haru was chill enough to withstand it, and Momiji simply didn't care. They walked past one of the Sohma buildings, and their conversation paused by the slight pounding of the music.

"Someone is really blaring their music," Haru commented casually, but Momiji jumped up and down.

"Oh, it must be Marley! Let's pop in and watch!" Momiji was already off, and Haru figured he might as well check it out, curious to what she was up to, and Kagura followed behind.

They slipped inside the building that was warmer inside than outside and was met with the sight that was hard to look away from. Marley's tall form was balancing up on her toes with her free leg high up in the air, frozen in time like a statue as the music seemed to slow down for a moment. Til she gracefully moved through the next step, coming down and spinning. With a grace that came from years of hard work, but she made it look so natural.

_._

_Never got the chance_

_To say a last goodbye_

_I gotta move on_

_But it hurts to try_

_How do I love_

_How do I love again?_

_How do I trust_

How do I trust again?

Marley gracefully moved across the wood floors, spinning and gliding, but there was something more than just pretty dancing. There was a certain look in Marley's face like she was fighting with something. There was a story happening here, and there was pain.

_I stay up all night_

_Tell myself I'm alright_

_Baby, you're just harder to see than most_

_I put the record on_

_Wait 'til I hear our song_

_Every night I'm dancing with your ghost_

_Every night I'm dancing with your ghost_

.

The dancer did a few stylish flips, but on the third one, she misstepped and fell to the floor on her side, and a hard slap was heard through the studio. Momiji rushed in and opened the door, but the image of Marley curled on the floor, her long white-blonde hair fanned out around her gave Momiji a sharp pain in his heart as he paused. The image bringing up a painful memory.

Marley was lying on the floor, deep breaths as she curled into herself, utterly unaware of the audience she had. And soft cries left her mouth her mouth, barely heard over the loud music that still filled the studio.

Kagura was the first to make it to her and placed a hand to Marley's shoulder, but this caused the girl to gasp and look at her in shock.

"Oh, Kagura! Sorry, I was just caught up in .. a moment." Marley apologized as she tried to will herself to stop crying, and the college girl simply brought out her handkerchief and handed it to Marley.

"I couldn't, I don't want- to ruin it-" But Kagura insisted and even shoved the cloth into the crying girl's face, and Marley had no choice but to use it.

"Marley-Chan! Are you okay?!" Momiji ran to her other side and looked at her with big sad eyes, and Haru stood behind him.

"Oh, Haru, Momiji. Hey, um. Sorry I was just... working on some tricks, and I didn't notice anyone was there, and I guess I kind of got lost in the song.." Marley apologized as she got up and worked hard to compose herself. Even putting on a beautiful smile that could have fooled anyone had they just not seen her opening weeping a moment ago.

Kagura rubbed Marley's back, trying to offer words of comfort while Haru and Momiji offered to grab some ice for her head even though Marley tried to insist that it wasn't necessary. She was sure the fall looked a lot worse than it was, and the girl was used to a few bruises when she was working on some tricky moves. She hoped that the three thought she was crying over the fall and not about the dark thoughts that sometimes sneak in.

"Kagura. Thank you." Marley sniffled as Kagura continued to use the handkerchief on her.

"Its nothing! I don't know what's wrong, but I'm here if you need a shoulder, Marley-Chan." Kagura told her.

"Here, I'll help you get cleaned up a bit. Your hairs a little messy." Kagura offered as she brought out a brush from her bag and helped fix Marley's hair.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

Haru and Momiji walked with Marley back to her house on the estate, Kagura had skipped off home but not before giving Marley a tight squeeze of a hug. While Kagura had seemed to disappear a bit these last few months, Marley had been grateful for the girl's presence as she tried to comfort her. Kagura had even lent her some sunglasses to hide her red eyes.

"I hope I didn't take you away from your plans." Marley apologized as they approached her home.

"We were actually already heading your way, Marley-Chan!" Momiji told her as they held hands, swinging their arms back and forth as he gave her a bright smile, and Marley returned it with her own. Her heart was still heavy with the earlier events of the day, but she could always put on a smile for her dear friends.

"I think I've got some ice cream bars in the freez-"

"I'll KILL YOU!" A loud yell interrupted Marley's offer and made the three high school students jump. Haru, Momiji, and Marley looked at each other, and instead of going through the front door, they slipped around the back and approached the back porch.

Marley wasn't sure how to explain what she was seeing.

Hatori and Dadaji were sitting at one end of the table calmly, holding cards in their hands. In contrast, Ayame sat back, laughing in only the way he could while a woman wearing short jean shorts and a white T-Shirt was up on her feet and pointing a finger at him before throwing her cards at the laughing Ayame.

"Ah, Gabriella is back, I see." Haru pointed out as if it weren't obvious, and Marley's mouth was still hanging slightly open at the scene.

"Gabiii!" Momiji cheered as he bounced his way over to the beautiful Latina.

"Sup little cutie." Gabriella grinned at the small blonde boy and patted his fluffy hair.

"Oh, Marley, welcome home. Hatsuharu, you're looking well." Tetsuo greeted as she slipped off her shoes and stepped in.

"Hi..." Marley slightly waved her fingers, and the woman turned around and tackled the girl in a tight hug.

"Oi, Marley! This man is a snake!" Gabriella gestured to Ayame, and he actually froze, his sake cup inches from his mouth.

"I – uh! What do you mean by that?!" Marley nervously laughed while Hatori tried to hide his slight smile behind his card, and Tetsuo let out a chuckle.

"He is taking all my money-"

"You wanted to put money on it-" Hatori inputted

"AND THEN HE STARTS CHEATING!" Gabi accused and was getting so excited that even Zazu, who was up in his cage, was chirping like crazy.

"Ahahahahaha, now, now, Gabriella Angel Hernadez Flores, don't be like that." Ayame used Gabriella's full name, and Marley was a little impressed. Gabi was not.

"I will shave off all your hair and sell it on the black market, I swear." Gabi threatened, a somewhat evil smirk on her face, but no one seemed all that bothered by it.

"We ordered in some sushi, would you like some?" Tetsuo asked as Haru was already in a kitchen, snooping around and grabbing himself some food.

"Um, sure. let me just put some stuff away." Marley smiled, but Momiji had already grabbed himself a plate and was piling on his favourites.

Marley made her way of the stairs and ducked into her bathroom, she took off her sunglasses and revealed her red eyes to the mirror. They were slightly red but not swollen, which Marley was a little grateful for.

"Does... Does it really look like I never cared?" Marley asked as she gripped the locket in her hand. No one answered, and she knew an answer wouldn't come, but it still felt incredibly lonely.

.

Marley freshened up, taking out her contacts, washing her face and slipped on her glasses, trying to shake away all the troubling thoughts. She didn't want to trouble anyone with her problems, and she wanted to just hang out and have some fun with her friends. She even grabbed one of her shopping bags that had the gachas she had picked up on her day out.

When she returned downstairs, Kisa and Hiro had also shown up, and Hatsuharu had gotten the video games up and running. It was looking like a full house tonight.

"Onee-Chan." Kisa immediately came over and made herself comfortable by Marley's side.

"Would anyone like anything to drink?" Marley asked, and a few nodded while her Dadaji and Gabi pointed to their sake. Kisa asked if she could help in her quiet angelic voice that made the whole room melt.

Gabi watched from her seat in the living room as Marley got started on drinks and cleaned up what was left of the sushi dinner the adults had earlier. The young Kisa was diligently following her and trying to help with whatever she could.

"Aw, she's like Marley's little shadow." Gabi cooed while watching, also noticing the genuine smile on Marley's face as she and the young girl worked together.

"They're very close. Marley's actually got little Kisa into Ballet." Tetsuo told her, and Gabi could only smile.

"Looks like she's certainly made a home here." Gabi could only smile, happy that her dear friend's daughter seemed to be thriving so well. Gabi would be lying if she said she didn't worry about the kindhearted girl living in a foreign country, but she was perhaps worried about nothing.

"Well, she certainly caused a bit of a stir to this old traditional place. It's certainly been wonderful having her bring in some sunshine", Ayame commented, and Hatori even smiled a bit, wholeheartedly agreeing with his friend for once.

"I'm happy for her. I wish her parents could be here." The adults of the table nodded, agreeing with Gabi's words. At the same time, Haru, Hiro and Momiji were wrapped up in the gachas Marley had bought for them, opening them up and comparing and even trying to trade amongst themselves.

"Aya, I ran into Yuki this morning," Marley said as she returned into the room served everyone some iced peach tea.

"Ohhh! Did he mention me?" Ayame seemed to be glowing at the mention of his little brother.

"No... but he did say he was heading to meet his student council members. That must have been so exciting! I wonder what kind of people they were." Marley was basically talking to herself because Ayame was already on the phone, and Marley could hear Yuki's groan on the other side.

"Marley mentioned you had a student council meeting this morning. Any cute girls. Go on, tell your big brother. Or maybe you need advice from a past Student Council President" Ayame began to go on and on, practically yelling into the phone, and Marley realized what she had done.

"... I think... Yuki might actually kill me the next time he sees me." The white-blonde sagged her shoulders as she let out a small sigh, hoping that Yuki could forgive her.

"I think you'll be fine. Ayame, on the other hand." Hatori shook his head at his friend, wondering if this conversation would help the two become closer or just drift further apart.

"What's going on?" Gabi asked as she looked Ayame on the phone.

"Oh, um Ayame has a little brother about my age. He and Yuki are... working on their relationship." Marley tried to explain without seeming like she was giving away too much personal information.

"What's his brother like?" Gabi asked before she took another sip of sake.

"Yuki is.. Kind of shy but very polite. And he's very popular at school though I don't think he enjoys it all that much." Marley sighed as she remembers Yuki's over the top fangirls.

"Here, I've got a photo." Marley offered as she pulled out her phone and showed a picture of her and Yuki at the farm with some chickens.

"So handsome. He looks like he could be part of a KPOP boy band." Gabi looked at the photo and then back at Ayame.

"They certainly look-alike", Gabi commented.

"Don't tell Yuki that." Hatsuharu chimed in, not even turning his eyes away from the screen as he, Momiji and Hiro were in the middle of a race.

"That's kind of sweet though, isn't it. Siblings can be complicated, but at least Ayame is trying." Gabi reached for the sake bottle and poured herself some more and then offered to fill up Hatori's and Tetsuo's cup.

"I mean, my brother can drive me absolutely up the wall sometimes... but I wouldn't change a thing about him. And I annoy him right back all the time don't worry." Gabi joked, and Marley only smiled. She knew that Gabi took great care of Miguel, especially under the circumstances that had come with.

"So, it's just you and Miguel?" Hatori asked as he pulled his cup away from Gabi's reach.

"Well, our parents live in California, but he's living with me at the moment." Gabi quickly said, not wanting to get too into it.

"Though he honestly used to spend more time at this one's place more than mine." Gabi teased Marley, and she only smiled, fondly remembering how Miguel use to come over dinners and would watch hockey games while she worked on her homework. Marley's parents worked a lot, so it was nice to have Miguel in the house to make it feel less lonely.

"Marley, I'm done with Miguel taking up your time. We're having a girls day tomorrow. Plus, I wanna get into a studio with you, and I can teach some moves." Gabi pointed at Marley and winked. The teen smiled and nodded her head, looking forward to catching up. The woman had been so busy with work that Marley had only been able to catch her now and then.

"Sounds great."

"Oh, and any chance you have any samosas? I've been craving them for like months, and you always made the best." Gabi gushed, but Marley was flattered for the praise and had her great-grandmothers recipe to thank for the mouthwatering samosas.

"I can make a batch, just need to pick up a few things," Marley said, and this caused Gabi to cheer and engulf the girl in a bear hug, and Marley even heard Momiji cheer about the savoury treat. Kisa was already fidgeting with her fingers and asking if she could come over and help.

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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The evening breeze blew through the open dojo. Two bodies moved through the dojo, punches, side steps, and kicks were flying. Kyo had chosen to train in the late evening. He wanted to train without everyone else and hoping he could work out this irritation he had been feeling.

Kazuma was titled his head as he watched. Kyo's movement seemed to be all over the place, and he would take a miss-step now and then and would miss openings. Kyo had been here a lot these last few days. It surprised both Kazuma and Kunimitsu, but they had an inkling as to why Kyo couldn't seem to fully concentrate.

It was more evident than ever in this fight that Kyo's mind to be muddled.

Kunimitsu could be a tough opponent, but Kyo would typically be able to keep up. Not today, it seemed as Kunimitsu sent a kick to Kyo's chest and sent him flying across the room. The orange-haired boy was struggling to get up, and the Karate master decided it was time.

"That's enough for today." Kazuma clapped his hands, and Kunimitsu helped Kyo get up, and the two bowed to each other and then to Kazuma, ending the session.

"dammit," Kyo muttered as he grabbed a towel and sat down on the bench, looking like he had been ultimately defeated.

"Something on your mind?" Kazuma asked as he walked over

Kyo looked up at him and then away to the hardwood floor.

"How's summer vacation so far? It must be nice to have a break." Kazuma tried, used to Kyo's sometimes silent ways.

"It's okay," Kyo muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck with the towel. Kazuma decided to try something.

"It seems I always see Marley running in and out of the Estate, but she moves so quickly it is hard to catch her for a quick chat." Kyo seemed to pause in his movements when Marley was mentioned.

"Do you think that maybe you could invite her over for lunch?" Kazuma asked, and this made Kyo finally turn to look up at him from the bench.

"What?"

"You would be there too. I'm inviting you both over for lunch." Kazuma's eyes danced with mirth, trying to keeping himself from smiling too much.

Kazuma had to step back as Kyo seemed to leap off the bench and was off down the hallway.

"I'll use the dojo phone... I'll ask, just don't get disappointed if she can't..." He heard Kyo tell him, but Kazuma and Kunimitsu just looked at each other and laughed when Kyo was out of sight.

"You know those commercials that show kids on Christmas morning, excited to open presents?" The two laughed, but Kazuma felt a warmth in his body, proud that the boy he called his son was growing up, and he couldn't wait to see how everything would unfold.

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

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Marley was trying to put together her laundry, but one orange and white kitty was having none of it. The day had been long, but she was trying to figure out laundry so she could do it in the morning and then let it dry on the line before she left for the day with Gabi.

Haru, Momiji, Kisa and Hiro had gone home, but the adults were still up drinking and playing cards. Marley had slipped away, mentioning she wanted to tidy up her room a bit.

She was also trying to ignore her phone, which had 4 missed calls from Miguel and what had to be about 15 texts. But she wasn't feeling up to tackling it. So, she just ignored his calls. It wasn't that she didn't want to speak with him, it was more like she wasn't sure what to say.

But she did send a text that let him know that she was tired and was going to bed. Marley didn't have it in her to completely ignore someone.

"Gimliii. Please?" Marley was trying not to laugh as Gimli once more made himself comfortable in the laundry pile that his human mother was trying to put into the laundry basket. Marley went through all her bags to make sure she hadn't missed anything. Going into the purse she had used that day, she pulled out the handkerchief that Kagura had lent to her.

Marley's fingers going over the embroidery, now realizing it was a few orange cats around the edges and paw prints and little hearts. It was a very cute handkerchief and another reminder of Kagura's feelings for a certain boy.

_I'll definitely want to handwash this... don't want to risk ruining this stitching..._

"Meow." Gimli didn't like the somewhat crestfallen look that crossed his mother's eyes and wanted her attention.

"Baby, I don't care if it's comfortable. I'm trying to get organized!" Marley groaned, but Gimli simply meowed and snuggled in more to the dirty pile on the floor, giving Marley a playful look in his eyes.

"Alright... you have to the count of 3...1...2...2 and a ha-"

Marley's ringtone saved Gimli from moving, and Marley looked over and noticed an unknown number. She figured it wouldn't hurt to answer, she then heard a low voice that made her heart do a flip.

"Hey, hope it's not too late..." Kyo's voice came through the phone, and there it was again. The hammering in Marley's heart started again, and she was glad that Kyo couldn't hear it over the phone.

"Um, no, not all. What's up?" Marley asked as she sat down on her bed. There was some silence while Marley waited for Kyo to answer. Unknown to her, Kyo was figuring out what to say.

"So, how's your hand?"

"Oh, it's fine..." Marley's bandaged fingers had really been the least of her troubles today. She would take burns to the hand over the stab she felt when Miguel suggested, and the angry yet hurt look in his green eyes.

_"You just buried them what? Last year? Yet you seem right at home with this 'new' family, which isn't even yours. You don't belong here. How can you be this 'happy' after everything? Your smiling and laughing as if...Makes me think like you never cared about them or even us in the first place."_

Maybe even if she wasn't supposed to be here. Even if being here came at a cost. Was it okay for Marley to find happiness? Or was that selfish?

"You okay?" Kyo asked into the phone.

"Huh?"

"I dunno, you... Just sounded off." He sighed as he tried to get to what could be on Marley's mind, and for some reason, it just pissed him off, knowing that she was possibly upset over something.

"Oh... I guess I just had a long day." Marley tried to play it off as nothing.

"Look, you don't have to tell me or whatever if you don't want- just... You do that weird high voice thing, and I know somethings up." Kyo scratched the back of his neck as he stood by the phone.

"Do I?" Marley asked, not just Kyo but herself.

"You're doing it right now.." He pointed out, and Marley used her free hand to cover her face, embarrassed that she had a tell. Her mother had told her she would have been awful at poker. Kyo was waiting on the other end.

"I... I upset Miguel, and I feel like.. I've failed as a friend." Marley tried to play it off as small, but she chocked on her words as she felt disappointed in herself and horrible for causing pain to someone she cared for.

Marley was so grateful for the home that she had and was thankful for the Sohma family, who had been so wonderful. She was happy. Of course, she was still mourning her parents, she wanted them here with her. But they weren't, and Marley had been given a miracle of the chance to keep on living. It was a gift that could truly never be repaid, but she wanted to at least not take it for granted.

Did it really appear that she had never cared? Had Marley been so caught up in her new life that Miguel thought she never cared about their friendship.

"I highly doubt that you 'failed' as a friend." Kyo interrupted her thoughts, and Marley's eyes widened.

"Huh."

"You care too much if you ask me, I'm sure he's just an ass or something." He put it so bluntly that Marley let out a small burst of laughter but put a hand over her mouth, embarrassed that she would laugh over such a thing.

"No.. No. He's not. I think... Maybe I've just disappointed him." Marley looked over at her desk and spotted at an old framed photo of her and the handsome Latino, his smile showing off his dimples.

Miguel had been her best friend. Her only true friend back in the states and Marley was afraid that he would leave... And then she would have been alone. It was that attitude that had led to some messy situations.

And in the end, the two had been separated, only... Marley had been the one to leave. The white-blonde had wondered if they would ever reunite and imagined everything could just go back to before... before everything truly blew up.

She wished that she had done so many things differently. Marley wished she had been more honest with Miguel and reached out to him rather than waiting all this time.

She wished she hadn't told her parents that she would be fine on her own while they flew back home, Marley wished she had kept them here, kept them safe.

But Marley couldn't change the past and had to keep moving forward...at least, she tried to tell herself that but sometimes the words weren't enough.

"Even though... Me being here is a mistake... Do you think that its okay for me to find happiness?" Marley asked so softly as her fingers subconsciously played with the locket around her neck.

"What?"

"Never mind its stupid. Ignore me." Marley rushed her words, embarrassed that she was confessing these feelings to Kyo, but the boy simply shook his head, though Marley couldn't see and tried to give his two cents.

Kyo thought about her words and thought he wasn't sure what Marley meant by 'mistake'; he could just imagine Marley grasping onto the locket that held her parents' picture.

"You're thinking about your parents, right? I mean... they would want you to, wouldn't they? They loved you a lot." Kyo stated with certainty as he would never forget the look in Marley's mothers' eyes when she spoke of her daughter. The love and adoration that radiated off as a young Kyo looked up in awe at the foreign woman who spoke strangely.

"I'm sure they'd want you to just... Keep living, right? Are you happy?" Kyo asked.

"I am... I feel so lucky to have... This wonderful family and friends, even after-.." Marley traced the small scar on her chest. She reminded herself of Kyo's words that day when they were only separated by the changing room curtain as she tried on swimsuits.

"That scar is proof, right? That you're alive... Right now." Kyo stood right outside the blue curtain separating them, Marley stood directly on the other side, hanging onto his words.

_… I miss them so much; I want more than anything for them to be here... but I'm also happy. Is that wrong?_

"You're alive and... you're trying to find happiness, that's all that matters. I imagine that's all they wanted, right?" Kyo sat on the floor by the by the phone at the dojo, leaning back up against the wall.

"Just because you're not walking around sulking doesn't mean you don't miss them. And if that guy's being a dick about it then... he just doesn't get it." Kyo scoffed, and it managed to make Marley giggle a bit.

Kyo recalled when his own mother died, and at the funeral, he didn't cry. All the adults whispered about it, that because he wasn't crying, it must mean that he didn't love her. That wasn't true. Not at all.

Everyone had their way of grieving. One could never truly know what someone could be dealing with.

"He's really not that bad... He's just... he's upset that I left." Marley said as she tried to defend her friend.

"I get that." Kyo responded quickly, and Marley was curious as to why he meant by 'I get that.'

.

"Hmm? What do you-GIMLI NO!" Marley jumped up and grabbed the article of clothing from Gimli's mouth.

"What has that devil cat done now?" Kyo asked, smirking slightly into the receiver.

"He is a sweetheart." Marley defended her larger than average cat who gave her a proud look.

"Ya, who keeps trying to bring your half-dead birds. What'd he do now?" Kyo was being a little cheeky, he knew it, but with Marley, it was easy to joke around.

"He's trying to drag away my dress." Marley admitted as Gimli finally let go. Kyo started to laugh, and Marley felt her heart do little flips. Marley wasn't sure how Kyo was able to make her feel this way. He was easy to talk with and was so observant, and she wondered how she became so lucky to be part of his life.

Kyo was someone precious to her.

"Shishou wanted us to come over for lunch. Its just lunch, nothing exciting-" Kyo scratched the back of his neck as he finally got around to asking what he called about but was quickly interrupted.

"I'd love to!" Marley chirped, excited to spend time together and honoured that she had been invited to lunch.

"Alright, I know your busy and whatever with... everything, but is Thursday okay?" Kyo asked, getting ready for her to say that she would be busy with 'Miguel.'

"Thursday is perfect." Marley chirped, a giant smile on her face.

"K... I'll meet you at the main gate at 11." Kyo decided, his own smile spreading across his lips.

The two wished each other good night and hung up. Marley let out a breath and fell back on her bed, her hands clamped over her phone and holding it to her beating chest. A giant grin on her face that was honestly starting to hurt her cheeks.

This wasn't a storm she had been feeling, they were full-blown butterflies flying around her chest and unable to erase the smile on her face.

_Maybe I do have feelings for Kyo..._

Kyo was such a wonderful part of her life. He stood by her through tears and laughter, and Marley felt like... Well, she actually couldn't really explain the feeling she got when she was with Kyo, but it felt light.

And she didn't want to ruin their friendship with her feelings. She couldn't lose that. And wanted to convince herself that she would be able to throw whatever she was feeling deep down and not burden anyone with her heart.

_Its... It's just a crush. It will be fine..._

But honestly, Thursday already felt too far away.

Small little paws climbed onto Marley and settled right on her chest, the vibrations of his purrs were easy to hear.

"You'll keep my secret? Right, baby?" Marley asked as she brought up a hand to the top of Gimli's fluffy head, and he leaned into it, meowing as he did.

"Alright, I'll bribe you if I must. I'll sneak you some shrimp." Marley giggled, and Gimli happily meowed again, enjoying being the spoiled cat that he was.

Marley felt around the bed and picked up Kagura's handkerchief that she had dropped on the bed. Flowery embroidery, and little orange cats around the edges. In honour of the Kagura's love for her fellow Zodiac member.

_Kyo..._

Isuzu's words rang through again, along with the cold look in her piercing brown eyes.

_"You can't be together."_

Marley was again hit the splash of cold water of reality

Marley wasn't a zodiac member; she was an outsider. That fact was sometimes lost on her as she felt so at home with them and held them to dear to her heart.

And then there was Kagura who was and who could fully love Kyo the way he deserved. Kagura, who kindly tried to comfort Marley when she was crying like a child in the middle of the studio's floor. She felt something in her throat, and her eyes started to burn, but she still smiled as she held the phone to her chest.

Marley was reminded, and feeling of guilt just came again and again. Kagura was so kind to her, and yet here Marley was, getting flustered over spending time with Kyo. The boy that Kagura loved.

"It's a beautiful handkerchief. I'll return it. I promise. But... is it okay if I just.. Dream a little bit." Marley whispered to the universe, hoping that no one would get hurt because of her or that she would lose any precious friendships.

_I'll keep it hidden._

"It's just a crush..." Marley said softly as she closed her eyes, the long exhausting day taking its toll as it made her eyes heavy.

_Right?_

The girl didn't have time to think as her door was busted open, Gimli ran and hid at the loud sound, and a body landed on hers, nearly knocking the wind out of her.

.

"Marleyyyy! Honeyyyy! Your Abuelito is making me sleep in the guest room. He said I'm too drunk to leave!" Gabi was practically whining into Marley's chest. One would never guess that Gabriella was a grown married woman with how she was acting right now.

But Marley could only laugh, it honestly brought back memories of when her Mother and Gabi would go out drinking. They would always be full of life when they came back to the apartment, waking Marley up because they wanted her to be part of whatever food they were trying to make in the kitchen.

"That Kisaaa is such a sweetie pie, she looks at you like you a Disney princess or something. Oh, and you should get with Haru, like I'm not into that, but he cute, you don't have to marry him, just have like a few cute kids with him... or really any of the Sohma boys, they got some good genes..." Gabi started speaking Spanish as Marley helped her to the room down the hall and helped her into bed.

"OHHHH MMMMyY GOD! This bed is so comfyyyy." Gabi flopped around in the large guest bed. Marley offered to grab the last-minute guest some water and returned quickly, wanting Gabi to drink some water before she passed out.

"Waaah CHANDRAA! Never let me play with Aya again... he cheats..." Gabi cried before grabbing the glass and downing in one go, Marley froze a little bit when Gabriella called out Marley's mother name.

"Uhhuh, I'm exhausted..." And with that, the woman was out, light snores filling the room. Marley let out a small before tucking her in and turning off the light, closing the door behind her.

"She's certainly a handful." Hatori and Ayame were heading out

"You should have seen her with Mama, they could really 'tear up the town.'" Marley joked, and Hatori and Ayame could just imagine it. Hatori softly chuckled, patting Marley's head, telling her to get some rest.

"Au Revoir Principessa. Till we meet again." Ayame took Marley's hand and laid a gentlemanly kiss, and Marley curtsied, happy to play along as it was all in good fun.

The house finally settled down, the only sound was the night crickets and slight snoring she heard from Gabriella down the hall. Marley was finally able to crawl under her covers and quickly fell asleep, the events of the day tiring her out.

It wasn't how she expected the day to go, but she was sure tomorrow would be better and was looking forward to lunch with Kyo and Kazuma later in the week, falling asleep as she gazed at her bandaged fingertips.

 _Maybe I'll make some sweets, and we can share them together... that'll be nice_.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> Tawa: a flat cast iron cooking pan for cooking flatbreads mostly, such as roti.
> 
> Akihabara: Busy shopping hub for electronics, manga, anime and video games. A little touristy but lots of fun to explore.
> 
> Gacha: Capsule toy vending machines that come in a wide variety.
> 
> En Pointe: Pointe technique is the part of classical ballet technique that concerns pointe work, in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet within pointe shoes.
> 
> Song: Dancing With Your Ghost - Sasha Sloan
> 
> Also, Ayame is mixing together french and Italian for his goodbye but I feel like that's something he would do XD
> 
> Soooo looks like Marley's got a certain case of survivors' guilt maybe and I hope she doesn't get too lost in it. Miguel is struggling to see his friend do so well without him. I imagine he's not coming across that great but I hope you give him a chance.
> 
> Next time: The girls go out for dinner and talk a little about love, Tohru learns something new and Marley goes to lunch with Kyo.
> 
> And again... I'm sorry about the delay. This chapter has been kind of done for a while but I kept changing things and then I put off editing it... anybody wanna become my editor LOL
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking around even though I'm a bit of a mess.
> 
> Thank you to those who leave comments. My heart legit swells up when I get to read one <3
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter and hope you are all safe and healthy.


	10. Yeah!

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Marley moved her body to the fast-paced music, her heart was racing, and she left like she was filled with electricity. The energy from the other dancers in the room only adding to the fun atmosphere. This was different from doing her contemporary work or ballet, even where she poured many of her heart's more fragile feelings.

Gabriella and Marley were having a bit of a girl's day, but the older woman still had a workshop during the day, which just meant that Marley got to join. The Latina hadn't been sure if the former ballet dancer would be able to keep up, but it seemed Marley had been practicing her hip-hop a lot more Gabriella was vibrating with excitement, a broad smile that beamed with pride.

_Si el ritmo te lleva a mover la cabeza, ya empezamo' cómo e'_

_Mi música no discrimina a nadie, así que vamo' a-_

_Y toda mi gente se mueve_

_Mira el ritmo cómo lo tiene'_

_Hago música que entretiene_

_El mundo nos quiere, nos quiere, y me quiere a mí_

_Toda mi gente se mueve_

_Mira el ritmo cómo lo tiene'_

_Hago música que entretiene_

_Mi música los tienen fuerte bailando, y se baila así_

_Come on_

Marley knew that she was more skilled with ballet, and her body was more trained for it. But she wanted to learn everything, especially when given the opportunity, and she found with hip-hop or street dancing, it was like she could put on an attitude and fill her with fire. Marley felt like someone who could rule the world when she was on the dance floor. She wished she could feel this way all the time and not just when she was dancing to the right now.

_They say my body stay wetter than the (Ocean)_

_And he say that Creole in my body's like a (Potion)_

_I can be a beast or I can give you (Emotion)_

_So please, don't question my devotion_

_I been giving birth on these haters 'cause I'm (Fertile)_

_See these double Ds on this bag (Murda)_

_Want my double Ds in his bed (Serta)_

_If you really love me, make an album 'bout me (Word up)_

_Soon as I walk in, boys start they talkin'_

_Right as that booty sway (Freeze)_

_Slay_

_Lift up your people from Texas, Puerto Rico_

_Dem islands to México (Freeze)_

"GET IT!" Gabriella was jumping around and hollering as the music blasted in the studio. Hyping up the dancers but mostly just beside herself in joy at how well her best friend's daughter seemed to flourish. She had her phone camera out, not missing anything.

Marley hit the beat with a split landing, and the girls in the studio whooped, cheering on and hyping her up. When the routine was over, Gabi practically tackled the girl in a hug, yelling about how happy she was while Marley only laughed. The rest of the dancers cheered.

The professional burlesque dancer had invited Marley to join the one drop-in class Gabi had to teach today. Since Marley was only 17, she couldn't teach her burlesque, at least not in an official class or anything, but Gabriella had been a street-style dancer before she dived into burlesque, so she figured she would see what the talented teen could do.

Gabi had no idea the ballet dancer could keep up like she did. She wished that Chandra and Yuto were around to shower the girl with praise.

_Although... I doubt they would appreciate me showing Marley how to throw it back..._

"Damn! What the hell? You're curves finally kicked in, and you became boss ass bitch on the floor." Gabi was still beside herself on what she saw on the dancefloor, slapping Marley on the backside, making her let out a sharp yelp.

"What?!" Marley jumped away as she hid behind a white towel, and the other women in the changing room looked over to see the commotion, but Gabi didn't bat an eye. After the dance class, they decided to hit up a small bathhouse and enjoy a soak in the onsen.

Marley showed Gabi over to the hose and told her that she had to wash off all the grime before entering the shared bath and made sure to keep her hair out. Marley quickly threw her hair up into a messy top knot.

After she was done, Marley stepped into the large shared bath, letting her skin get used to the steaming hot bath before relaxing on the side, leaning back slightly.

"Things are good, though, right?" Gabi asked for what to be the millionth time since she'd been in Japan. It wasn't that the woman didn't like Tetsuo; she knew that wealthy and prominent families such as Sohma's must-have dark secrets as she just felt it.

And in her opinion, rich folks could be the worst of the worst and didn't want someone as sweet and optimistic as Marley getting caught up in that foolishness. But she also knew there was a fire in Marley that wouldn't be so easily blown out. The last few years had proven that.

"Yes, Dadaji's been taking good care of me," Marley reassured the slightly protective woman.

"And how about your other stuff? Are you still doing your Aerial Silks." Gabi watched as Marley threw her a bit of an awkward smile and shook her head.

"Ah, no, I'm kind of taking a break from it."

The woman slightly whined, disappointed, and Marley shrugged and insisted that she didn't really have time. There were other reasons behind it, but Marley didn't want to talk about it.

"Boo! But it made you look so cool. We have a girl who does silks now at the show, but she's nowhere as good as you or Chandra." Gabi groaned.

"So, how are things back at the club?" Marley had meant to ask about the burlesque joint, but it seemed like something to ask more in private as she wasn't sure how open Gabriella wanted to be about her profession.

While Marley herself didn't see anything wrong with work and had grown up seeing her Mother in the feathery outfits and beautiful sequins, she knew that sometimes other people might judge.

"Hmm? It's not too bad. Jeffe wants to do some re-vamping or something. And we got a few new dancers. One has this pretty cool flamingo act." Gabriella mentioned, and Marley gushed that she imagined the outfit for the flamingo burlesque was probably beautiful, and Gabi promised to show her a picture later.

The two women continued to catch up as they relaxed in the hot bath. Gabriella complained about her apartment and hoping to move soon, wanting to have a nice kitchen. Marley went over how even though she was stepping away from the aerial stuff she was still being kept busy with dance and had been having fun learning new things from hip hop to swing dancing,

Marley's life was definitely different here in Japan, but that was to be somewhat expected.

"Must be weird." Gabi sighed as she took a look at the far wall on the bathhouse. On it was a tile mosaic of what looked like mount fuji. She hadn't had a chance to see it yet but hoped she would get some free time next week and do some sight-seeing.

"hmm?"

"Living in that big house. I was just thinking...You could fit your apartment in the living room alone."

"The apartment wasn't that small." Marley laughed. To be honest, she barely remembered what the old apartment looked like except for maybe the small blue couch and weird art-deco tiling in the bathroom.

"It's more than that... you had to adjust to a lot of things, I imagine..." Gabi turned to look at Marley, and she understood what she was talking about.

"It's been... weird at times. I feel like there's still a lot I'm not fully grasping, and I know I probably make a lot of mistakes. And if I try to talk too fast, I apparently start reverting back and forth between Japanese, English and Punjabi." Marley laughed at bit. It was sometimes embarrassing.

The young dancer looked into the water and used her hands to cup some water and look at her reflection.

Marley still struggled with kanji and sometimes missed Japanese social cues. She knew she stuck out like a sore thumb and didn't look like she fit in at all, but the people who mattered didn't seem to mind.

"But... I have people supporting me, and even if I might now do everything right... I'm gonna keep trying." Marley smiled as she stared down at the reflection and let the water slip through her hands. Gabi nodded her head and had her own smile and decided to change the subject.

"Looking forward to going to the beach house?" Gabi asked as she knew that next week Marley would be gone along with many the Sohma kids.

"Mhmm. It's too bad you can't join."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be kept plenty busy, plus Diana flies in next week, and we'll have the AIR BnB to ourselves." Gabi gave a slight squeal of excitement over being reunited with her wife and even getting alone time together since Miguel was going to the beach house.

Marley wondered if Miguel still wanted to go to the beach house. She wanted him to come, but she didn't want him to be uncomfortable. Marey had tried calling, but Miguel just kept saying he didn't want to talk about it.

Marley knew that wasn't the right way to go about things, but... what more could she do but hope at this point. The white-blonde slightly shook her head and returned back to the

"How is Diana? Is she still studying medicine?"

"She starts her intern year in the surgical program this fall. I'm sure she's gonna be busy, but that's why I'm excited to have a bit of vacation time before all that." A proud smile donned Gabi's face. Even if it meant that Gabi might not see her as much, she was happy that her wife made her dreams come true.

"Wah, that's so cool, though. That's she's going to be a surgeon!" Marley's eyes sparkled.

"Hell yeah, she is! And she's gonna be a badass." Gabi jumped up in the bath and took on a proud pose while standing stark naked, and the other women in the bath giggled at the interesting woman.

They relaxed for a little longer before exiting the bath and went back to the lockers, and Marley was just in time to catch a text from Uo.

+Yo! I just finished up my shift, and I'm meeting the girls for dinner you in?+ Uo had texted her, and Marley looked over at Gabi, who was putting on a shirt.

+Can my friend come?+

+Sure, why not.+

"Gabi, you wanna go to dinner with my friends," Marley asked.

"I'd love too, I'm starving."

+Where are you guys meeting?+

Next, Marley was texted the address, and Uo mentioned she would be there in about 20.

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

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.

When Marley and Gabi arrived at the monjayaki restaurant, everyone else was already there waiting. Megumi, Hana's little brother, was there as well and was quick to steal a spot beside Marley and compliment her on her high waisted jean shorts.

"I think he might be a leg man." Uo laughed, and the rest of the girls giggled, but Megumi was completely unbothered and owned up to it

All the introductions were made, and soon everyone was settled, and Uo had caught up everyone her meeting with the mysterious man that Uo had met at her convenience store job store last month.

Uo explained that she ran into while on her break today, and they ended up going to lunch together, where she got to know him a bit better. When the two parted, the man had left her more confused than before, but even thinking about him made her heart race.

"It... was like he was saying 'I love you.." Uo let out an airy sigh, a somewhat dreamy look on her face as she stared up at the ceiling. But there was also a sadness in her eyes, an uncertainty that Marley noticed.

"So, do you love him too, Arisa.", Hana asked as the monjayaki cooked on the hot surface, the sounds of the food sizzling as Uo tried to figure out the answer for herself.

"I dunno! After all, he's a man of mystery. There are things he says and does that I just don't get!" She huffed as she leaned back on her hands and gritted her teeth. This was the most annoyed she had been in a long time.

The waitress came by and took everyone's order, and Marley had to ask if there was any vegetarian option that led to a simple cheese and green onion monjayaki. Gabi got herself a seafood variant that she would share with Tohru.

"I mean, why did he leave without saying another word?! Was it me?! Did I have tororo breath?!" She started to panic as she tried to replay the moment in her head.

"Well... Maybe the 9-year difference made him nervous..." Hana pointed out, and Gabi's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"What did you say?" The woman asked, hoping that she heard it wrong as her Japanese was pretty limited.

"Ah well, the man that Arisa is speaking of 9 years older-" Marley barely got the sentence out as Gabi dropped the food on her fork, and Marley quickly moved a napkin to catch it with her quick reflexes.

"9 years?!" Gabi yelled, clearly horrified and started shaking her violently.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. NO."

"What are you like 15?" Gabi pointed at Uo, and the teenager looked shocked at the change in the attitude form the woman she had just met. It felt like getting a scolding from a big sister.

The older woman began rambling. Most of it was English was there was also Spanish thrown, and Marley tried to keep up best she could. Marley understood where Gabi was coming from. She certainly wasn't happy with this age difference and honestly wanted to keep Uo far away from whoever this person was.

"Umm... Gabi thinks that maybe the age difference is... A little much." Marley tried to translate as politely as she could, and Uo just huffed a little, but Tohru tried to help.

"My Dad was 8 years older than my Mom. But I hear they were crazy about each other." Tohru added, trying to support Uo, but she could still see the look of doubt on Gabi and Marley's face.

"You don't find it... creepy that this guy in his mid-twenties is hanging around high school girls? Why can't he find a girl his own age? Somethings very wrong there." Gabi shook her head in disgust.

Marley was suspicious, her own birth father had been a few years older than her Mother. He had gotten her pregnant and practically fled the scene, leaving Chandra alone and pregnant with Marley at 16.

"Fuck, if I was your guys' age and found out my friend was with some perv nearly 10 years older... that would not be pretty", Gabi muttered before taking another long sip of cold beer.

"But. It's not like you guys have done anything... right?" Marley asked, really hoping that that two hadn't gone any further than lunch.

"NO! Look, it was just lunch... nothing happened." Uo insisted, and Marley couldn't help feel a little relief as she didn't want her friend to get tangled up with some creep who could take advantage.

Uo was undoubtedly tough, but she was still a girl in love, and Marley's Mother warned her that love could make someone blind to everything else. Marley was sure that if she went to her Mama and said that she was interested in an older man... her Mama would immediately find that man and most likely beat him within an inch of his life.

"Just... be careful." Marley stared at Uo with her large amethyst eyes, and Uo could only nod, seeing that Marley was truly just worried. Megumi was the one to break the tension as he tapped Marley on the shoulder.

"How do you feel about a 4-year difference, Marley-Chan," Megumi asked with a straight face as he pointed at himself and Marley tried to hold back a giggle.

"Damn, your brother knows what he wants," Gabi smirked at Hana, who only took another bite of her dinner.

"Still. Just the idea that one of my best friends might fall in love makes me feel a little lonely." Tohru admitted, now that everyone had seemed to calm down a bit, and the air was a little lighter.

"What the hell are ya talkin' about?! You'll get a boyfriend one of these days. And he'll want you all to himself. Fat chance of that, though! We're gonna crash her first date! Right? Hanajima, Marley?!"

"That goes without saying." Hana agreed without a thought.

"Maybe we shouldn't." Marley tried to suggest as she couldn't imagine the pressure of being on a date and then Hanajima and Uo watching their every move.

"Ah, to be young again and braving the wide world of dating." Gabi sighed before finishing up her beer and already getting the waitress's attention to order another one.

"... haven't you been with Diana since high school." Marley raised her brow, and Gabi stuck her tongue out at the girl.

"Are you married, Flores-San?" Tohru asked with excitement, curious to hear more.

"Aww, call me Gabi, please. And yep, married for 2 years now. Here." Gabi pulled out her phone and showed off a photo from her wedding. Gabi herself was in a strapless gown, and a beautiful blonde woman that was a bit taller wore an intricate lace crème gown.

"Oh, wow! You look gorgeous – and your... Partner is beautiful." Tohru got nervous as she wasn't sure what to say, and Gabi just smiled, proud to show off the love of her life.

"I feel so lucky to by her side for the rest of our days. Even when we're apart like this... I still feel her in my heart." Gabi spoke in English, but the entire table could feel the sincerity in her voice when she talked about her wife.

The phone was passed around, and Uo ended up scrolling through the photos, completely shameless.

"Marley, you were there?!" Uo stopped on a photo of Marley dancing with Yuuto on the dancefloor. She was wearing a long dark green skirt and a matching silk cropped blouse.

"Yep, Mama was the maid of honour," Marley explained, and when Uo scrolled to the next picture, she let out a whistle.

"You're Mom's such a fox." Uo looked at the photo of Marley's Mother is a burgundy gown with the deep vee cut, and it showed off her hourglass figure, and her long dark hair was slightly curled.

"Yeah, Chandra sure knew how to command a room. Made for a damn Maid of honour too. She made sure everything got done and took no prisoners." Gabi laughed, and Marley nodded, remembering that nothing could get in her way when her Mother had a mission.

"You must have been close," Hana stated.

"Well, we met when I first started working at the club," Gabi explained, and Tohru tilted her head in curiosity.

"Club?"

"Do they know?" Gabi asked Marley, and she only smiled and nodded.

"Oh, yeah, I told them Mama was a burlesque dancer. They even saw a clip!" Marley said proudly.

"So you're a dancer too, Gabi-Chan-San." Tohru clapped her hands together as she looked at the older woman in wonder.

"Yep. That's actually why I'm in town. I got paid to feature at a burlesque club in the city for a few weeks, and I'm teaching workshops on heels choreography, and then I did a hip-hop one this morning." Gabi smiled, proud of what she did

"Wahhh! That's so cool!"

"You wanna come to check it out?" Gabi asked as if it was nothing, and the girls looked a little shocked. Except for Hana, who barely blinked at the offer.

"The burlesque show?" Uo asked, and Gabi nodded.

"Uh, I don't know if we can, we're just minors." Tohru waved her hands, and Gabi just shrugged.

"Please, I can get you in. It's just like dinner show except with a bit more feathers... but it's pretty classy. This one grew up watching burlesque dances, and she's fine." Gabrielle threw her arm around Marley's shoulder, and the white-blonde nodded, fondly remembering the many nights she spent in the large vanity room in the back as a child.

"Are we sure she's fine." Uo teased, and Marley let out a fake gasp and put a hand over her heart as if Uo had dealt her a hard blow.

"Can I go?" Megumi asked Gabi as he looked up at her with his large dark eyes, but Gabi could only laugh.

"Maybe in ten years or so, chico.." Gabi laughed as she sort of ruffled the boy's hair.

"But seriously, you girls should catch a show. There are some really cool acts, and I'll probably be able to get you the VIP treatment." Gabi sold the idea, and it was starting to sound very exciting and fun.

"It does sound cool."

"I imagine that includes some food." Hana voiced, and Gabi said that there a few good things on the menu.

"I would love to see.." Tohru shyly admitted as it did sound fascinating.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do." Gabi gave the thumbs up and was already thinking of a way to butter up the owner.

"May I try some of yours, Marley-San?" Megumi asked as he looked at Marley's portion of monjayaki being cooked in a separate pile on the hot grill.

"Of course, Megumi, it's delicious. Help yourself." Marley smiled, and he thanked her as he partook in her vegetarian meal, mentioning it was quite good.

"Aw, man. This is really pissing me off!" Up groaned as she looked down at her phone, glaring at a message.

"Is it the predator?" Gabi asked, and Uo's jaw dropped.

"What?! No! He's not- No! It, I need to get Kyoko's bike fixed, somethings messed up with the motor, but every asshole wants to charge me an arm and a leg." Uo complained, frustrated that with everything else she was dealing with, there was now a problem with Kyoko's bike.

"Um, well, depending on what it is... maybe Miguel could help." Marley thought out loud as she thought of the friend that she still had yet to talk to since yesterday.

"Miguel-San?" Tohru seemed to sit up straighter as his name was mentioned.

"Ya, he's amazing when it comes to the mechanics of cars and motors. Right, Gabi?" Marley smiled as she looked over at Gabi for confirmation.

"I need to make him useful for something. He's such a grumpy baby these days. Some work will do him good." Gabriella shrugged.

"Oh! And there's a garage on the Sohma Estate, and I'm sure we could use, and Miguel would have access to tools and everything. We could pack up what he needs a bring it over to you." Marley was already making plans in her head as she knew of the bike's importance and knew that Miguel would take great care of the bike.

Though... I don't imagine I'll be able to ask him, I'm sure Gabi will be able to convince him.

"I can bring him by tomorrow if that works. Marley, you in?" Gabi asked, and Marley shook her head as she already had plans that she did not want to change.

"Well, um, I'm actually going to lunch tomorrow," Marley revealed with a soft smile as she played with the rings on her fingers.

"Oh? With who?"

"Kyo's father invited me over lunch." Marley smiled, and immediately Uo got a smirk on her face.

"Oh, so a 'date'? Meeting the in-law?" Uo teased, and Marley blushed as she denied that it was a date of any kind, but Uo gave her a cheeky smile and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Do I have something to worry about?" Megumi as his sister, and she simply shook her head.

"That boy is not ready; you still have time to win her over," Hana told him, and the young boy nodded, not feeling threatened by what could be his rival in love.

"Aww! You are growing up. I kind of want you to go back to that awkward skinny girl who just wanted to dance in the Swan Lake and watch Disney movies all night." Gabriella teased as she pulled on Marley's head under her arm and gave her a noogie.

"She's really growing up. One day you're gonna get married. And then you'll have like 5 kids." The older woman was already fantasizing what the rest of Marley's life would like, and all Marley could think of was the pain on the top of her head.

"Uh Gabi-Chan-San, I think Marley-San is in pain." Tohru fretted.

"Oh, whoops!" Gabi finally let go of Marley's head, and she let out a cry of relief, thanking Tohru for saving her.

.

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

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It wasn't even mid-day, but the Japanese summer sun was beating down. Two foreigners slightly sweated, suffering through the humidity. Miguel honestly thought he was going to melt and cursed his sister for making him leave the air-conditioned apartment to go and do some girl a favour. The siblings walked up the Sohma Estate main gate, where Marley was already waiting. She hardly seemed bothered by the heat as she waved and smiled at the two, her summer dress lightly swaying in a rare breeze.

Her long hair flowed freely, white barrettes keeping the hair out of her face. She wore a long yellow dress with small white polka dots that was well fitted and had a crew neck, but there was a slit that went to the thigh.

"You look so cute, you sure it's not a date?" Gabriella teased as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"It's not a date. I'm having lunch with Kyo and his father." Marley insisted, but Miguel caught the light blush on Marley's cheeks, and he felt a sharp cold feeling wash over him.

"Well, you look gorgeous. This was one of Chandra's, right?" Gabi asked, and Marley nodded, proud to wear one of her Mother's old dresses. Marley didn't let them know that she had tried on 4 different outfits before finally picking this one.

Marley was slightly embarrassed over the extra time she took to get ready this morning. Even her Dadaji had asked what was going on.

The adopted Sohma then led them to the garage, and she explained to the man working what was going, and he quickly helped her out and started piling a few toolboxes and other things into a car for everything they would need; Miguel pointed out a few things as well.

Even though Miguel spoke very little Japanese, he still recognized all the tools he would need.

"Alright, I gave the driver the address, and I texted Uo to let you know that you guys are on your way. Thanks again for helping Miguel." Marley smiled at him, genuinely grateful even though things were a bit awkward between the two.

The boy shrugged but didn't say much, and Gabi could sense the tension in the air, but she figured it was just Miguel in one of his morning moods.

"Alright. Um. Bye!" Marley closed the car door and waved as they drove off.

"Why are you coming along anyway," Miguel asked his sister.

"Just curious to see how you work." She said as she looked through her emails on her phone.

"You've been such a grump these past few days. Lighten up, you're on vacation." Gabi sighed as she answered a few messages.

The rest of the ride was quiet, and Miguel just closed his eyes and pretended to sleep in hopes he wouldn't be questioned anymore.

When they arrived, Uo was waiting in the street along with Tohru and Hana.

"So you are Miguel?" Uo asked as she looked up at the tall man, her arms crossed and sizing him up. He was certainly very handsome, but he also looked like the kind of guy who would play a gang member in one of those Hollywood action movies.

"Sup." Miguel nodded before letting out a large yawn.

"It's good to see you again, Miguel-Kun." Tohru stepped forward and smiled brightly up at the boy.

"Good to see you too, Tohru," Miguel replied, a small smile on his lips.

"So, where's the bike?" Gabi asked as she looked around, and Up told them to follow her. They walked down an ally and then into a parking structure, and the group was led to a decently sized red motorcycle.

"Shit. She's beautiful." Miguel immediately approached and walked all around the bike, appraising it.

"How did you afford this? This bike's a classic. This detailing..." Miguel whistled.

The two looked at each other, slightly confused as Uo could barely understand English, and Miguel's Japanese skills were kind of limited. So, Gabi had to come over and slightly translate as she had a somewhat decent grasp of the language.

"It actually belonged to Tohru's Mom, Kyoko," Gabi explained with a sad look, and Miguel felt a new respect for the bike and Tohru. He hadn't realized that Tohru had lost her Mother.

The two got into talking about the bike, and Uo had Gabi try and translate what was wrong with the bike, and she knew a bit more Japanese than Miguel.

Tohru walked up to the bike and slid her hands along its sleek body, remembering when her Mother used to ride.

"I'll take care of her," Miguel promised as he stared down in Tohru's brown eyes, a genuine look of sincerity flowing through and Tohru couldn't look away.

"The bike. Don't worry. I've been taught pretty well, and I'm sure my mentor would kill me if I don't do a good job." Miguel smiled down at the girl, and Tohru felt flushed and stepped away to give him room.

"We should leave him to work. How about we escape to some air-con?" Gabi said as the girls just seemed to be standing around watching Miguel work.

"Is it really okay to leave -" Tohru started, but Gabriella wrapped her arm around Tohru and tugged her along.

"Trust me, he won't finish till he's done. He's in the zone and the bikes in the best care it could be in." She comforted the girl.

"He certainly seems to lift a bit when he started working," Hana mentioned.

"Lift?" Gabi asked as they made their way into Uo's apartment and relaxed around the table.

"His waves, they seemed to calm down immensely," Hana explained.

"Oh, right, you have like superpowers." Gabi nodded and looked at Hana in slight wonder.

"Not exactly."

"What did his waves say anyway?" Gabi asked.

"He seems... like he felt guilty of something, confused,...but also frustrated." Hana tried to explain.

"Hmm... I can kind of guess then... I think he and Marley might have had a fight of some sort." Gabi said as she crossed her arms and let out a sigh. The girls just watched, waiting to see if they would get more information.

Although, knowing Marley and Miguel. Gabi knew it less like a fight and more like her baby brother losing his temper on the girl who had most likely already forgiven him for his misstep.

"I guess... Miguel's still trying to get used to the fact that he's no longer the closest to Marley." The woman said softly and slowly. Her little brother could sometimes be a headache, but he was a wonderful person, just a bit lost at the moment.

"Marley was always busy. She studied hard and basically took care of all the cooking and cleaning. And... she looked different, and kids seem to be kind of stay away from her... or would even tease her." Gabi remembered how much Chandra worried for her daughter because she knew that Marley felt out of place, but the young girl still tried her best and never let the world get her down.

"And everyone seemed to be terrified of Miguel He just... Gave off a bad vibe back then. From what I heard... Miguel got inro some sort of confrontation, and Marley, who barely knew him at the time... stuck up for him. He used to run around with... a tough crew, but then he stopped when he and Marley got close." Gabi remembered that change she saw him. He calmed down and just became a little happier bit by bit, and his grades improved along with being more bearable to be around.

"Miguel had a huge crush on her too... but... and I don't know this for sure or anything, but I don't think Marley ever returned those feelings. But I know that she still loved him dearly, but as a friend." Gabi couldn't help but feel a little bad for the lovestruck boy. It wasn't anyone's fault, but she did wish that Marley had felt the same way.

"Maybe it's hard for Miguel to accept... that Marley is able to make friends and live...without him." Hana offered.

"I guess... I can kind of see where he's coming from." Uo put in, and Tohru asked what she meant, curious about what her friend had to say.

"Well... it was like when you started hanging out with the Sohma's... I felt like... that maybe I had failed as a friend or something." Uo admitted as she slightly hung her head, and the girl in question looked over in shock.

"What?! NO!" Tohru denied, hating that she ever made her friends feel that way.

"I knew you would say something like that." Uo slightly smirked but continued on.

"But now I know... that it's actually a great thing for you. And they seem to take good care of you, and that's all that matters." Uo admitted.

Gabriella had no idea what was going on as the three girls all of a sudden started hugging, but she just shrugged and looked through her phone and looked at a photo of Marley and Miguel from one of Marley's performances. Both had smiles on their faces, and they looked like kids to Gabi. Kids that were just trying to find their way in the world.

Gabriella knew that Miguel would move on and fall in love with a girl who could return his feelings. He was a good man who just needed to figure out a few things. Gabi had caught the small look of 'discomfort' when they had met up this morning, and Marley had slightly blushed when she spoke a particular name.

"Um... so when ya guys are done..."

The three girls stopped and looked at Gabi, wondering what she would ask.

"What can you tell me about this 'Kyo' dude?" Gabi asked, and the three girls seemed to answer in unison but completely different statements.

"Kyo-Kun is a wonderful person."

"Carrot top is fun to tease."

"His emotions are in chaos."

Gabi blinked and looked at three girls, feeling more confused than before.

_Who was this 'Kyo'? And who was he to Marley? Should I be worried?_

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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"Achoo." A loud sneeze suddenly left the orange-haired boy, and it surprised Marley so much that she jumped a little as they walked side by side through the outer part of the Sohma Estate.

"Bless you," Marley said as soon as the sneeze left Kyo and asked if he felt okay. The boy waved off her concern and insisted it was nothing and told her not to worry.

"What is that?" Kyo finally asked and nodded to the package that Marley had been carrying.

"I made a Lemon Meringue pie." Kyo titled his head as he had never had such a thing and couldn't imagine lemon being great in a desert.

Marlet looked down at the package in her hands and hoped that it was good enough. This was actually the third one she had made as the first one hadn't worked out, and then the second one Hiro and Kisa had dug into when Marley wasn't paying attention. It wasn't their fault; they had come over, and Marley was busy doing something, and they asked if they could have some, and in response, Marley had quickly said 'of course.'

Next thing she knew, she was out of a Lemon Meringue pie, but Hiro and Kisa didn't need to know that they had dug into a desert meant for Kazuma and Kyo. Marley just made sure to set her alarm in the morning to make another.

Plus, Hiro and Kisa eating it meant that it at least tasted good, so it worked out for the best.

"You made a pie? Why?" Kyo asked as he slightly tilted his head at the girl.

"I didn't want to show up emptyhanded... It's just a small thank you for inviting me." A small blush appeared on her cheeks as she smiled over at Kyo. The boy felt his heart hammer in his chest as he looked at her face and felt the need to walk faster so she couldn't catch his own blush.

"Don't expect too much, okay? Shishou just wants to have lunch and talk a bit. It'll probably be pretty boring." Kyo stuffed his hands into his pockets as he marched forward, but Marley easily kept up with her long legs.

"No! I'm sure it will be lots of fun. I'm so excited that he invited me. Plus, I want to see him with short hair! I'm still shocked he would cut it." Marley was already trying to imagine what the Karate teacher looked like. She suspected he still looked handsome but still had trouble picturing him without the long locks.

A small smile graced Kyo's lips as he shook his head, wondering how Marley could get excited over the smallest of things.

They arrived at a well-sized traditional looking house. Marley kind of recognized it from the first time she had been there, and she ran around this area a lot in her runs.

Kyo slid open the front door and started taking off his shoes in the large genkan and then took the pie from Marley so she could slip off her white sandals.

"Shishou! We're here!" Kyo yelled.

"Hello! Thank you for- uh...Is something burning?" Marley asked as she smelt a strange odour. The statement made Kyo freeze.

"Shit!" He cursed and shoved the pie back into Marley's hands before bolting down the hall, and Marley panicked and quickly followed.

"SHISHOU! WHAT ARE YOU BURNING THIS TIME!?" Kyo screamed as he rushed into the kitchen and saw his karate master just standing in Infront of the stove ash smoke filled the kitchen. Kazuma seemed unbothered and just smiled and greeted his son. Kyo hurried in and grabbed the pan that was on the stove and rushed it into the sink.

Marley rushed in and let out a small breath of relief as everything seemed somewhat fine.

"Ah, so you burning things is quite the regular, huh?" Marley giggled from the kitchen door as she watched the chaos. Kyo was utterly out of the loop as he looked back and forth between the two.

"Ah, yes. I guess I've never been good in the kitchen. I'm still a little embarrassed about the last time..." Kazuma revealed, and Marley just shook her head and insisted it was fine.

"Wait? What are you guys talking about?" Kyo felt completely lost.

"Marley-San happened to be on a jog and stopped by in time to save the kitchen from burning down." Kazuma's assistant and student popped into the kitchen.

"Kunimitsu, how are you?" Marley greeted and slightly bowed her head, and he politely greeted her.

"Good, thank you. How about I clean this up, though." He offered as he looked at the state of the kitchen.

"Oh, are you sure?! I can help." Marley tried to help, but Kyo was already leading her out of the kitchen before she went looking for cleaning supplies and helped.

"You're the guest! Get out, come on." Kyo ushered Marley out the kitchen, and Kazuma only chucked before apologizing to Kunimitsu for the inconvenience. The easy-going assistant insisted it was fine and told the karate teacher to go be with his guests.

"I guess I got caught up in reading and couldn't put it down. It Shigure's new novel." Kazuma mentioned as he sat down at the low table in the living room and put down the book on the table.

"Oh, how is it?" Marley asked as she peeked at the cover.

"It's quite enjoyable, I could always lend it to you afterwards." Kazuma offered, and Kyo immediately stepped in.

"No, you won't! BURN IT!" He yelled as he didn't want Marley reading anything done by the dog of the Zodiac. Marley only blinked owlishly while Kazuma chucked at his son's behaviour.

"It's been a while, Marley-San. How have you been?" Kazuma asked as everyone settled in.

"Fine, thank you. I've been enjoying the summer sun a bit. And I'm glad to see you looking well. Thought to see you without your long hair is a bit of a shock." Marley admitted as she now had time to get a good look at the Karate Master's new look.

"Yes, I just chopped it all off." He simply said, and Marley's hands wandered to her own hair to protect it from being 'chopped off' as well.

"I do apologize for that awful scene in the kitchen." He slightly bowed his head, and Marley waved her hands, insisting that it was not as bad as he was making it out to be.

"At least you tried?" Marley tried to cheer him, and he was grateful for her positive attitude. He even thought about maybe giving it another go. Perhaps not today, but sometime soon.

"Sheesh, I don't even know why you attempted cooking when you suck so bad at it." Kyo shook his head in disbelief how his Shishou could be so terrible at the simple task.

"I had a good feeling about today." Kazuma simply stated, but Kyo wasn't having it.

"If a 'feeling' could turn you into a good cook, Kunimitsu wouldn't be trying to air out the kitchen right now... just stick with the dojo." The orange-haired boy seemed exhausted, but Marley lightly giggled, finding Kyo's worry to be endearing.

"Hmm, but this is a bit of a predicament. It's almost noon, and we don't have any food." Kazuma pondered.

"Um, well. If you don't mind me using the kitchen, I could make something. Once the smoke has cleared." Marley offered, hoping that she would be able to make something that everyone could enjoy.

"What?! No way! A guest shouldn't-" Kyo was about to try and stop her, but Kazuma was quick to give the go-ahead.

"I'll happily leave it to you."

Before Kyo could protest, Marley was already in the kitchen that was now clear and opened up the fridge where there was...

"Nothing..." Marley softly muttered as she looked into the large white fridge.

"Completely empty." Kyo shook his head as he stood behind her. Marley continued opening cupboards, and there was nothing. She even opened the fridge again in hopes that something had changed.

"HOW?!" Marley was completely beside herself, and Kyo was shaking his head.

"You can't cook when you ain't got no food!" Kyo scolded his master

"I suppose." Kazuma seemed unbothered.

"Um..." Marley continued looking around, refusing to believe there was absolutely nothing and was rewarded with a small box.

"OH!" Marley reached to the back of a cupboard and pulled out some sort of 'curry.'

She had seen commercials for these boxes of curry but had never made it before. Japanese curry was so different from the curry that she was used to. Not that it was bad or anything, it just wasn't what Marley expected.

She read the box and then noticed a box of potatoes in the kitchen and decided that she wasn't going to question why he had so many.

"I could make this? I've never made it before, though..." Marley offered though she was uncertain if this would be enough. She was regretting not bringing more.

"Oh, curry would be lovely. I'll help-" Kazuma's offer was quickly cut off by Kyo, who didn't want the man anyway near the stove.

"She doesn't need your help!" Kyo stopped him, but Kazuma kept pushing, certain that he could be of assistance.

"This time, I really feel that I can, and maybe Marley-San can teach-"

"JUST FORGET IT! Enough with that already!" Kyo started shoving him out of the kitchen, and the man barely put up a fight, slightly chucking as he was showed the way out.

"I'll help her! So, you just watch from over there!" Kyo ordered as he pointed to the living room.

"You are? Thank you, Kyo!" Marley had a bright smile on her face, and one would have thought that Kyo just offered her a trip to a theme park or something.

"I get to see more of Kyo's cooking skills." Marley smiled, and Kazuma locked onto the statement.

"More?"

"Mhhm, Kyo made me a delicious grilled cheese sandwich," Marley revealed, remembering just a few months ago where Marley slipped and couldn't walk, so Kyo had gone to the store and then made her the American comfort food.

"He... what?" Kazuma tilted his head, wondering if he heard that right.

"Kyo cooked for me; it was delicious. He even bought me chocolate milk to go with it. It was the best combination!" Marley complimented, and Kyo's face was redder than his T-shirt.

"I see..." A small smile made its way to Kazuma's face as he felt a feeling of pride swell within him.

"IN FACT, SHISHOU, GET THE HELL OUT! GO READ A BOOK OR SOMETHING!" Kyo was set on getting him out as he couldn't take much more.

"Okay, okay." Kazuma laughed as he was finally out in the hall and promised not to interfere anymore.

"Right, let's get this over with!" Kyo said as he went back to Marley's side, and she showed him the box.

"Ah, right, have you made one of these before?" Marley asked as he took the box and looked over the instructions.

"Sorry about this, I should have seen this coming. Shishou is awful in the kitchen." Kyo let out a frustrated sigh, still slightly embarrassed.

"No, don't be sorry. It was actually kind of funny. Reminded me of Mama." Marley laughed as she looked through cupboards and brought out the cooking utensils.

"Mama... She was... um... well, she claimed she had a cooking curse." Marley laughed as she remembered every time something went wrong when her Mother tried to cook.

"That bad, huh?" Kyo smirked, and Marley just laughed and mentioned that her Mama was a pro when it came to the milk and cereal ratio, which made Kyo shake his head in disbelief, but a small smile was still on his lips.

Kazuma just watched from the hall, sighing softly.

"Oh? Did Kyo and Marley-San leave?

"No, I was chased out..." He pointed to the two in the kitchen.

"Oh-ho?" Kunimitsu wiggled his brows and peaked into the kitchen, hoping to catch something juicy.

"Now, now. It isn't nice to spy, Kunimitsu." But he was already peeking into the kitchen to see what was happening. Marley was taking off all her rings, and Kyo held them for her.

"Why do you have so many," Kyo asked as he looked at the 5 rings and put them in his pocket to keep them safe.

"Because I think they're pretty." She giggled as she quickly took all her hair and promptly braided it and Kyo's jaw dropped at how quickly she was able to do it, Marley offered to try and braid his hair somehow, but he told her 'no' which in turn made her pout slightly.

"They seem to be having fun..." Kazuma whispered to Kunimitsu, not wanting to be caught and ruin the scene.

"You know... I never thought he would grow close to anyone but you, Kazuma-San. He's been a lot more open with me lately, too. It's been good." Kunimitsu softly said as he looked over the scene, a small, sincere smile on his face as he too realized that Kyo was growing.

The house phone began to ring, and Kunimitsu rushed off to get it as Kazuma just simply kept watching over the teens as if thinking that if he blinked, he would miss something.

He recalled that this time last year that Kyo wouldn't even look up, let alone smile. He had been filled with despair and had an aura of darkness akin to death.

The orange eyes that were once filled with hopelessness were now full of life and spark.

"Kazuma-San."

"Hmm? Oh... Who was that on the phone?" Kazuma asked as he saw the troubled look on Kunimitsu's face.

"Kyo's father."

Just like that, the happy mood felt like it had slipped away.

"All he said was that he wanted to talk to in person, and then he hung up," Kunimitsu explained, and Kazuma let out a heavy sigh.

"Of all days, he picks when Kyo is visiting... And what does he want to talk about after all this time?" The adult wondered, wishing he didn't have to go.

"... will you meet with him?" Kunimitsu asked Kazuma could only guess what he wanted to talk about, and it made him sick. Kazuma stepped back into the kitchen to at least let his guests know.

"I apologize. Something came up. I have to meet with someone."

"The hell?" Kyo asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Marley-San, I'm terribly sorry. I'll be back as soon as I can." Kazuma apologized and gave her a polite smile, but a look of concern crossed her amethyst eyes.

"Oh, don't worry about it... but. Is everything okay?" She asked, and he insisted that everything was alright and began walking down the hallway, but Kyo's voice stopped him.

"Shishou.. did something happen?" Kyo asked as he followed him down the hallway.

"There's nothing to worry about, I'll be right back. Wait here, like a good boy." Kazuma patted Kyo's head, and the teenager blushed and tried to shove the hand away.

"What the hell is that?!"

Marley peeked her head out of the kitchen and watched the two go back forth, much like the father and the son that they were. Maybe not by blood but by love.

Marley smiled and slightly leaned back at the door frame, happy that she got to catch a glimpse of the moment. She felt weird ridges under her fingers, and it distracted her from Kyo and Kazuma as she looked behind her to inspect.

There, scribbled into the wood of the door frame, was a line and kanji. She slid her fingers over it again as she read.

"Kyo... age 6." It was hard to picture him so small. And then about 5 inches above, Marley's height was Kazuma's name. Only, he didn't have an age next to it.

"Ah, you found the height chart."

"Oh Kunimitsu, sorry I didn't see you there. Am I in your way?" Marley asked as she moved from the wall, and the man shook his head and gestured back to the height chart.

"Ha-ha, poor Kyo was always afraid he would never be big and tall. Drank so much milk and when he wasn't getting any taller, he would cry-"

"Ku-Ni-Mi-Tsu..." Kyo sounded out his name, a syllable at a time, a fire in his eyes as he death glared at the man.

"YOU DIDN'T NEED TO TELL HER THAT! NOW GET LOST!" Kyo raged, and Kunimitsu threw up his hands in surrender but still had a teasing smile on his face.

"Okay, Okay. I'll let you two get back to it."

"What?!" Both Kyo and Marley responded in unison, and the two looked at each other, small blush on their faces, but Marley was the first to laugh it off and returned her attention to the wall. Tracing the notches, from Kyo at 6 to 12.'

"Why did you stop tracking your height?"

"Seemed childish..."

"What? No. I mean, everyone wants to get big and tall, right?" Kyo quickly walked, and Marley tilted her head as he walked back, but this time with a small knife in his hand.

"Alright. Let's see." Kyo stood up against the door frame, and Marley's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Ya, ya. Just get it over with already." Kyo hurried her along, and Marley carefully used her hand and pointed at the point on the wall where Kyo's height was and told him he was good to step away, and she let him put the notch.

"You've gotten so tall."

"Well, duh! The last time I did this, I was a kid." He scoffed with a small pout on his lips.

"You'll catch up to Kazuma soon, maybe you'll be even taller." Marley smiled at him and noticed that he really was a little bit taller than herself. She was sure that when they met back in March that she was taller.

"Do you-" Marley stopped as she noticed the thoughtful look on Kyo's face; he stepped closer, and his hand came up to the new notch on the door frame that was only an inch or two above her head, essentially caging her in but Marley didn't feel trapped. Merely curious as to what Kyo thought as she searched his orange eyes that reminded her of marigolds that grew around her grandmother's house.

Kyo's fingers brushed over the new notch, his body was so close to Marley, who stood between him and the wall that he could smell the mixture of lemon and coconut from her hair.

This was proof that he was getting taller, he was growing. He thought back to his Shishou's words all that time ago when Kyo was afraid that he would never grow. That he would never have the strength to fight the things he feared.

_"Once you get bigger... in body... The strength will come to. Just give it time. There will be things to be afraid of, but you won't be afraid..."_

_Once I'm an adult... will I be able to overcome my fears?_

"Kyo?" Marley asked, bringing Kyo back to earth.

"I'm taller than you now." Kyo proclaimed, slightly proud even if it was barely an inch.

"Really!? You've grown so much; I could have sworn when we met, you were like this big." Marley brought her hand to her shoulder, and Kyo rolled his eyes. Kyo knew that he had only been a little bit shorter than Marley, even though he didn't want to admit it.

It wasn't his fault that Marley had ridiculously long legs, but he was catching up.

"Try about here, Weirdo." Kyo flicked her in the middle of the forehead, and Marley let out a little surprised chirp sound that made Kyo laugh, and Marley's jaw dropped.

"That was a weird sound! That was embarrassing." Marley slightly blushed as she rubbed her forehead, where she had been lightly flicked.

"Wanna hear it again." Kyo teased ad Marley giggled and shook her head.

"No! I'm good." Marley quickly dodged Kyo's hand and ducked back into the kitchen, and the teenage boy took once last look at the notches in the wall. He looked at how small he was when he was a child and trailed up the wooden beam to his height was now. He was growing and getting stronger, but was that enough?

_Will I be able... to change my future?_

.

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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.

Classical music played from an old record player, the sound filling the house's stagnant air, and two men sat across from another. But it was not a friendly meeting.

"Your grandfather was the previous cat. So, you of all people should understand. The one possessed by the cat must be confined... that THING has been granted unprecedented freedom, but that will end once he graduates high school." A man with hollow cheeks and dark hair was nervously tapping his foot as he lit up a cigarette. Kazuma could only watch silently as he went on.

"From then on... for the rest of his lift. Until he dies, he will live in the compound in that dark room. He won't be allowed outside and like your grandfather... Kazuma-Dono... When the time comes, I want your cooperation. We can't let him get away..." The man's cold eyes widened a bit, a look of a man who feared something that wasn't there. A paranoia.

"Seems like you're getting a bit ahead of yourself. He won't graduate for another year-" Kazuma simply stated but didn't get to finish.

"I'M NERVOUS! When I think of that THING being allowed to continue living on the outside, I become a nervous wreck. He's a monster! He's a monster who as good as murdered his own Mother... my wife!" The man jumped to his feet, his voice filled with malice.

"I'll never forgive him... he killed... and yet he lives on... Without the slightest feeling of guilt. He killed my wife. Can you imagine how much pain I've had to live with?" He sneered as he glared at Kazuma, his cigarette burning and the ash falling to the ground.

"Why... WHY IS HE ALLOWED THIS FREEDOM?!" He screamed

The music on the record skipped and then seemed to get stuck on one part, playing like a broken record, repeating the same few notes repeatedly. Never moving forward.

"It's all that things fault. Everything was ruined thanks to him." The man crushed the half-used cigarette into the ashtray, so much hatred in the man's eyes, but Kazuma felt a weird sense of de ga vu.

These words rang familiar to Kazuma.

"You resemble him." Kazuma mused, and the man's eyes shot to him, not believing the words that left the karate master's lips.

"You resemble the old Kyo... just a little bit. He had more anxiety and fear then he could handle... so he would cover his ears, shut his eyes and project them on other people." Kazuma explained as he looked down at the wooden floor.

"But... he's changing. He's finally emerged from despair and has just begun walking down a new path. He starting to mature. Won't you change too?" Kazuma asked but knew he would get no answer. So, he tried again.

"Why is it that you blame everything on your son without searching your own conscience?" Kazuma brought his gaze to the man before him. This man was filled to the brim with hate.

"A-are you trying to say it's all my fault?" The man scoffed.

"I am merely wondering why you place all the blame on him." Kazuma remained calm, but on the inside, he felt a fire burning.

"Ha! You talk like you're his father... but we all know the truth. You only took him in for the money. Possessed by the cat or not, anyone who raises one of the Zodiac children is generously provided for." The man smirked as he lit up another cigarette and took a massive huff, filling the space with the ugly scent.

"Insult my integrity all you like. Seeing him grow up has been one of my life's true pleasures. There is no way I would help you imprison him." Kazuma stated, and that made the man freeze, the cigarette barely brushing against his lips.

"D-Don't be stupid! The head of the family won't stand for this!" The man pointed, unbelieving that Kazuma would dare even state such a thing.

"I don't care who it is. If need be, I will protect him with my life. You don't possess one iota of parental love, so I doubt you would understand that." Kazuma said so matter-of-factly.

"You, you think you will get away with this? You really think you'll get away with this...?" The man yelled while Kazuma walked away from the dark aura of that house. That grave and stagnant heart of Kyo's father seemed to only grow colder as the years pass. The troubled man was stuck and decaying into darkness.

Kyo himself probably realized the future that's being prepared for him... I don't want to make him go back there.

_I don't want to make him stand in that darkness ever again._

He returned to the sound of laughter and the sight of Marley and Kyo sitting on the porch, resting in the sunshine. It looked like Marley had a small butterfly on her finger and moved it, so the orange butterfly was resting on Kyo's shoulder.

"You guys could be twins." Marley teased, and Kyo huffed and waved the butterfly away gently only to land on top of his head instead, and Marley laughed. Kazuma caught the warm smile on Kyo's face as he watched Marley, and there was no darkness to be found.

Kazuma was confident that the future was not set in stone. There was a chance as long as he fought. There was always a chance.

.

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

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.

The afternoon glow was peeking through the parking garage's windows, but dark green eyes barely noticed as they concentrated on the task. Miguel wiped his brow of the sweat before he continued working on the bike. Feeling at peace as he was finally in his element. The smell of the oils and metal, the clicking and turning of gears. This stuff made sense to him. Everything just seemed to click.

He had never been great in school and always felt like he was a fuck-up. But in a garage was where he felt he could do something. Fixing the problems was easy when it came to auto-mechanics. He felt like his mind was clear.

"Alright. Let's take you for a quick test." Miguel hopped onto, turning the handle and revving up the engine, feeling the bike come to life beneath him. The sound making him smirk a little with pride.

"Alright, let's go." He revved himself up, his heart pounding.

Kicking off, he ripped out of the parking garage and out of the alleyway. The wind whipped past him, and he leaned into the corner and popped onto the city street. He forgot for a moment that Japan drove on the other side of the road, and, after one close call, he quickly learned.

Too busy paying attention to the road now and testing out the bike, he didn't notice the group of girls he zoomed past who had just finished lunch at a nearby soba restaurant.

"Was that-" Uo asked as she pointed in the direction the red motorbike had disappeared.

"Looks like he fixed the bike," Hana stated.

"Ah, but he wasn't wearing a helmet and -" Tohru started to fret.

"Yeah, I'll kill him for that later. Let's head back to the parking lot." Gabi insisted, and the girls continued on.

It only took another 10 minutes until Miguel came cruising back into the parking garage, where the women waited for his return.

"She's good to go. Rides like a dream." Miguel mentioned, and Gabi just told Uo that the bike was fixed.

"Thank you! You really saved my ass." Uo, let out a breath of relief. It would have taken her months to save up for the repairs, so Miguel really was a godsend.

Tohru had walked back to the bike. Seeing it drive past earlier had been so strange, it immediately filled her of thought of her beloved Mother. She could imagine the 'red butterfly' racing through the streets.

"Your mom's bike is something else." Miguel looked like he was cloud 9, the high from the motorcycle ride running through his veins.

"huh."

"Ever taken a ride?" Miguel gestured to the bike, and Tohru shook her head.

"Me? No, no, no. Never." Tohru flailed around, and Miguel thought that maybe they could fix that.

"Want to?" The boy simply asked, and Tohru's jaw dropped.

"I-.."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of you." Miguel promised as he held out his hand to her, he had a small smile on, but it wasn't one that seemed to tease. It was comforting, and Tohru found herself placing her hand in his, and they lightly shook hands. It felt like making a promise of some sort.

"Yes... I'd like to go."

Miguel's grin grew as he passed her the only helmet that belonged to Uo, a simple black motorcycle helmet, and she clumsily put it on as Miguel straddled the bike.

"Come on, Chica." Miguel gave a comforting smile, and Tohru took a gulp, her heart racing as she stepped closer to the bike.

Being careful of her yellow dress, she lifted her leg and settled into her seat, tucking her dress to make sure nothing went flying. Tohru was slightly shaking but took a breath to calm down, and she was enveloped with the smell of motor oil and sandalwood.

It was quite lovely.

"Tohru?"

"Hold on to me," Miguel told her, and Tohru immediately wrapped her arms around Miguel's torso and with the loud roar of the engine, they were gone.

Uo's jaw dropped while Hana had a dark look on her face as they looked at the tire marks left from the bike.

"Wow, he straight-up kidnapped her." Gabi joked, slightly laughing at how tiny she looked on that bike compared to Gabi's tall and buff brother. Tohru's dear and protective friends didn't see anything to laugh at as they glared at the woman, and she threw her hands up.

"Trust me, she's in good hands." But that hardly made the two high school girls feel any better.

"... how about we hit up that fancy parfait place we passed by. My treat." Gabi tried to calm down the angry friends with the promise of food while also cursing Miguel in her mind for putting her int this situation.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

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.

Reds and purples filled the sky as the day finally came to an end.

Miguel couldn't get those large brown eyes out of his head, or the words of advice she had given him as they had taken a break from the bike on the riverbank just out of the city.

"I thought her friends where gonna kill you." Gabi had tried to scold him, but she was never any good at it. More often, she found his behaviour funny, and she knew he wasn't the same brat he was a few years ago, but she was sure he hid still had some troublesome habits.

"Huh?"

"When you took off with Tohru. They looked like they were going to plot your murder." Gabi laughed even though when it all happened, it wasn't that funny. Hanajima and Uotani looked like they could easily end Miguel's life is something happen to Tohru.

Miguel shrugged and kind of smirked. He could tell that her friends hadn't been happy with him, and Tohru had to calm them down. But he would have done it again.

"Tohru should at least get to ride her Mom's bike. And she laughed so hard and seemed like she was really having a lot of fun, it was nice." Miguel didn't regret it one bit.

"You're lucky you didn't get pulled over or anything. Where did you go, anyway?" Gabi asked as she leaned back into the seat and looked over at her brother.

"I just took her through a few streets, and we ended up by a small park by a riverbank." Miguel had been starving, and there was a small truck selling crepes, and he paid for him and Tohru, and they snacked on them while they watched the river flow by and... somehow Miguel ended up spilling his story to the girl he had only known for a short while.

Tohru listened to what Miguel had to say, waiting patiently for him to finish and seemed to think long and hard, a thoughtful look in her soft eyes.

_"Marley-Chan, I believe she is struggling, but I imagine that puts on a very brave face... and her heart is so large and warm... I know it that even though you two are far away now. She has lots of room in it for you still." Tohru's English was slow, and there were bumps here and there, but Miguel could understand her perfectly._

_"She clearly treasures you and your friendship...even if you two are far apart ... she just wishes that the people she loves are happy, and maybe... doesn't want to burden those around her." Tohru stated, and Miguel couldn't believe that he didn't see it._

_"Damn... I feel like I just got told..." Miguel chuckled as he stared down at the grass. He truly had been an idiot, and he had the person that he claimed that he loved._

_Marley was doing her best, and Miguel was whining like a child because now Marley had made other friendships._

_How pathetic._

_"'Ah! What? Um, is that a bad thing?" Tohru fretted, unsure of the English words he used, and Miguel only shook his head._

_"Nah... I had to hear it, I guess... I've been selfish... I'm glad that she's doing well. I'm grateful she had a friend like you." He ran a hand through his hair to get it out his face and looked over the kind-hearted girl, thankful for this time and took her words to heart._

_"Oh! No! I'm the one who is grateful to have a friend like Marley-Chan." Tohru got flustered and started waving her arms around. Miguel only laughed, finding her humble attitude completely endearing._

_"Maybe the beach house won't be so bad... You'll be there, right?" Miguel asked and then watched as Tohru seems to go through several emotions._

_First, she looked confused, and then something clicked, which led to her jumping to her feet as a look of surprise mixed with embarrassment crossed her face._

_"I COMPLETELY FORGOT!"_

_Miguel learned that along with being a kind and caring girl, Tohru Honda was also a bit of a scatterbrain._

The car came to a stop, and Gabriella shoved the boy to bring him out of his thoughts. Miguel got out of the Sohma car that had brought them back to the estate and handed back all the tools.

"I have to get ready for a show. Are you going to hang out at the apartment?" Gabi asked as they left the Sohma Estate garage.

"Actually... I need to go talk to Marley really quick." Miguel had put it off long enough. He needed to properly apologize. Face to face.

Gabriella suddenly wrapped him in a tight hug, and Miguel asked her what was wrong. Slightly squirming in the random embrace.

"Whatever is it... I know you'll make it right." Gabriella tried to think of what she could say as she had a feeling that something had happened between the two but hadn't wanted to intervene unless asked.

"Don't worry... I think I understand a bit better now. Someone helped me see it all a little clearer." He told her, and Gabi nodded and told him to not stay out too late and that she would be out late at work.

Miguel walked through the Sohma Estate, knowing where he had to go. And as he walked, he thought of Marley and their time together.

All the lunches he spent in the school gym as she practiced a routine, only taking a few moments then and there to eat before going back to working on some sort of move that Miguel couldn't name to save his life.

Meeting her parents for the first time and how they welcomed him into their small home, no questions asked. Even going to the temple with the family on the weekends where the girls got dressed up in traditional Indian clothes, and Marley helped him tie a bandana over his head before entering the gurdwara.

The look of heartbreak in her eyes when he had once shown up to the apartment covered in bruises and blood from a fight he had gotten involved with for a bit of money. After all the tears, her large amethyst eyes cried as she tried to help bandage him up... he stopped fighting. It wasn't worth it.

Marley learning how to make his favourite empanada because he mentioned he was craving them. The first few tries had tasted a little strange, and she worked hard to get it right. Not content with herself until her empanadas were Gabriella and Miguel approved.

Miguel teaching her how to play baseball and leaning her hand-eye coordination when it came to sports was nothing to be desired. Swinging with everything she had and missing every pitch.

How easily she got drunk after a few coolers at a house party, he dragged her too. Miguel let out a laugh when he remembered how he found after he lost her. She had found the room in the house where the host was keeping her golden doodle dogs and was cuddling with them as she sang about how much she loved them, her face red from the alcohol.

Then there was the time he skipped out on his chance to see her perform. Marley had given him a ticket and had looked so excited for him to see her in the show. He had bought flowers and had planned to go. But- when he showed up and saw all the fancy looking people. Miguel grew self-conscious and threw the flowers he had boughten away and stormed off. When he saw Marley after, he lied and said he got caught up at work and just missed the show. She just smiled and said that it was fine. Her parents had worked that night, so she understood. Marley held a sizeable beautiful bouquet with her as she stood in the hallway, still dressed in her shoes and tutu. He didn't ask where the flowers came from. He was just happy that the girl got a beautiful bouquet.

They had taken a picture anyway with her still in her ballet outfit and stage makeup. He hated that photo because it felt like a lie. She hadn't been happy. She was just pretending to be, for his sake. Because he remembered after when they were riding the bus home, and Miguel caught Marley silently crying in the reflection of the window, and he was too ashamed of his actions to reach out and comfort her. He later promised to make her next show, but her next show never happened, and now, he wasn't sure if Marley would ever dance in a show again.

He was brought out of his memories when he could hear Marley's voice mixed with another's and the sound of the TV. They were speaking in Japanese, but Miguel could still recognize the voices. He walked around the corner and cut across the garden, unnoticed by the two as they seemed to be a conversation.

Marley was speaking fast and pointing to the TV, and Kyo seemed to be disagreeing and shaking his head, looking at her in bewilderment. Marley pouted and tried to practically take his jaw in her hands and face him towards the TV, trying to make him watch what was happening in whatever they were watching.

It was bittersweet to see. It hurt ...But... he could learn to be okay with it. Because she looked so god damn happy, and that's what everyone wanted for her.

"Hey." Miguel slightly knocked on the porch, and the two looked over, and the smiles dropped from both of their faces.

"Miguel. You're here.." Marley asked as she got up, and Kyo simply glared at the intruder while Marley looked concerned. Miguel was really feeling like an outsider now, but he had to try and mend it.

"Marley, can I just... I just want to talk, really." Miguel asked as waited for permission to enter the house, and the white-blonde closed her mouth and nodded, motioning him to come inside. Kyo stood and whispered something to Marley, and the two talked quickly in Japanese. Miguel could barely catch a word, but he could see Kyo getting heated up, but all Marley had to do was slightly squeeze his hand. Miguel watched as the boy seemed to calm down but turned to glare at Miguel before walking into the kitchen. Leaving Marley and Miguel in the living room.

Miguel assumed that was the only privacy he was going to get. Miguel might be taller than the orange-haired boy, but he felt like he was three inches tall right now. Kyo watched him like a hawk from the kitchen table, those orange eyes seemed to be screaming something like.

**'Make her cry, and I'll kill you.'**

The old Miguel would have thrown a punch at this guy for acting like Miguel was some sort of lousy villain that Marley had to be protected from. But these last few days, that's how Miguel felt. Like he was the bad guy. And he didn't want to feel that way anymore and hopefully, the first step to changing that. Was to truly apologize.

"First of all ... I was a huge asshole. And. I didn't mean any of that Shit that I said the other day." The words came out so quickly, and Marley went to say something but Miguel kept plowing through because he wanted to get through this

"I'm sorry. I know that you've probably just been trying to survive. I shouldn't try to judge how you grieve. I... I guess I was just upset that I couldn't be here for you when you really needed... a friend... and then I got... Jealous when I saw how you have these new 'friends'.." Miguel slightly clenched his fists and felt a knot in his throat.

"Miguel..." Marley said his name so warmly, and he missed that sound so much.

"I... I've been really thinking about that night. I wasn't... I was so caught up... And I really thought that there could be something. But now I see... you never saw me that like... but I know that you loved me."

"I still do! I'm sorry that I cou-"

"Don't apologize for that... you … you gave me so much and..." Miguel was still trying to find the words.

You saved me from completely fucking up my life

"I'm so happy that I have you in my life, whichever way that is. I don't know what I did to deserve a friend like you. I know now that. I'm sorry I put you in... such a shit position back then... you probably regret a lot of things when it comes to me." He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the pit of shame in his stomach and spreading up his throat.

"No!" Marley was looking up at with determined eyes, and Miguel couldn't look away. It was an intense look that he had only seen once or twice before.

"There are things I wish I had handled differently, but please don't think that I regret anything..." Marley tried to continue, but Miguel didn't want to hear anything else. This was enough.

"Okay, okay. Let's just never speak of it again...But now... I just want to be...someone you can be proud to call a friend." Miguel admitted, and Marley jumped forward, wrapping her arms around him, rubbing his back.

"I am proud to call you, my friend Miguel. I will always love you; you are family to me. I feel so lucky to have you as my friend." Marley comforted him, and Miguel felt an immense sense of relief flooding through him.

"I'll take it," Miguel said as he wrapped his arms around her, savouring in the warmth. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't help but look towards the kitchen, and the orange-haired boy had his arms crossed and was glaring so hard that Miguel could almost feel the sharp daggers.

Miguel finally let go, and Marley asked if he wanted to stay for tea or anything, but Miguel said he was beat from the long day. He wished her a good night and walked away from the porch, disappearing around the corner. Miguel leaned back against the stone pillar that was just outside Marley's back porch. His heart still in a bit of pain, but he also felt a little lighter, Miguel couldn't wait to move forward.

_I'm happy for you._

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Kyo and Marley settled back into the movie, but the orange-haired boy hardly paid attention to the screen, watching Marley and curious to what was going on behind her large amethyst eyes.

"Is there something on my face?" Marley asked nervously as she finally noticed Kyo staring at her. She felt self-conscious all of a sudden as she felt around her face, worried if maybe a piece of food was stuck somewhere.

Kyo shook his head.

"Everything good?" The boy asked, wondering how she was doing after the talk with her old friend. He knew that she had been stressed about it, even if she tried to keep it to herself as best as she could.

Marley was the type to worry about everyone around her, and Kyo just wished she would take care of herself more.

"Oh... yes. I think so." The girl softly said as she smiled down at the table.

"Miguel, he really is a precious friend, and I feel like I'm starting to really get him back... And now I really can't wait for the beach trip. Going with everyone, playing on the beach, and smashing watermelons, we could even make a small bonfire on the beach. Making new memories... it's going to be so much fun!" Marley had a huge smile, and joy just seemed to seep from her aura.

"... what beach trip?" Kyo asked, and Marley froze, realization dawning on her. Momiji and her had written the invitations and sent them out, but now she realized that she hadn't double-checked with everyone to make sure who could make it.

"..."

"Marley." Kyo already knew he was about to be dragged into some sort of activity, and he doubted he would be able to say no.

"So-, how do you feel about taking a trip to the beach house down south for the week?" Marley tried to ask innocently, and Kyo scoffed and lightly reached out and tugged on a loose curl, not enough to hurt her. Just pulled it enough to let it bounce slightly.

"Fine. But don't expect me to go in the ocean." Kyo finally answered after leaving Marley in anticipation for a few moments, but the moment he consented to the trip, Marley wore a smile that could brighten up the darkest of rooms.

Kyo hoped that she wouldn't ask him to go swimming because he had a feeling that if Marley asked for it. He would do it with little resistance.

.

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.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song in the beginning - Mi Gente - , J. Balvin, Willy William, the Beyonce Remix.
> 
> Can't think of any other notes at the moment. I honestly am starting to doubt that people read past the chapter-ending LOL
> 
> So. Here we are. Things are turning around and moving ahead.
> 
> I have to say...I was really stressed writing this as it felt like the last chapter was disliked, I didn't hear very much from readers and doubted myself in keeping going. I'm not trying to guilt anyone into writing a review, but it's hard to gauge if the story is coming across well or not if I don't get feedback and when I'm unsure, the less I want to write. I'm still enjoying writing this story but its a lot more work then I imagined when I first started.
> 
> Hope that everyone is doing well and staying safe.
> 
> Til next time.


	11. Stir It, Stir It, Stir It Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Thought I would try putting some of the songs that will appear up here)
> 
> Songs:
> 
> Como La Flor – Selena
> 
> Don't Stop Me Now – Queen
> 
> Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
> 
> Stir It Up – Bob Marley and the Wailers

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.

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Dark eyes gazed across the rock garden; the sun shined down, but the woman hid in her room's shadows. Akito had been feeling agitated more than usual. Kureno had been acting strangely as if he was 'unhappy' about something. Then Marley had been so busy with the recent guests that it felt like she had barely any time for her.

It was pissing her off.

It seemed like she was alone for often these days. Had people forgotten about her? Had her treasured Zodiac members started to abandon her. No. That could never happen for Akito was-

"Akitooooo."Marley burst through the door, and Akito jumped out of her skin as the white-blonde energetically entered the room with a few tote bags.

"You trying to kill me?" The head of the Sohma Clan glared at Marley as she put down a bunch of stuff on the table before coming over to the corner where Akito was lounging.

"Wha-? No! Never! Sorry I was just excited." Marley laughed as she then wrapped her arms around Akito, mentioning that it had been too long and Akito grumbled and patted Marley's back in a weak attempt at returning the hug.

"I know! And I'm sorry, it's just been so crazy. And you keep turning me down every time I invite you out." Marley reminded her, and Akito just rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing here anyway."

"Well, I leave tomorrow for the beach house, and I wanted to hang out before I left. Plus, I thought we could do our nails."

"What's so great about the beach anyway," Akito complained, but her pessimist attitude did not bring Marley down; if anything, it only encouraged her to get Akito to see summer's joys.

"Well, you could build sandcastles, or look for crabs and seashells, play in the waves. I'm gonna bring a few books and relax a bit on the sand. Oh, and play beach ball or something." Marley rambled as she thought of all things she was going to do with her friends.

"That sounds exhausting..." Akito sighed.

"Aww, I really wish you would come, Akito. You would see how much fun it is. And then you could get to meet Miguel and get to know Tohru some more. I know you could be friends if you just gave it a chance." Marley tried to entice, but Akito only huffed and glared at the tatami mat.

"I have no intention of being friends with that girl." Her voice lowered, but Marley just tilted her head and let out a small disappointed sigh. Marley couldn't understand what Akito had against Tohru... or anyone who wasn't a Sohma for that matter. But that would never stop Marley from trying to get Akito out of this bubble she had made for herself.

But she wouldn't push it today.

"... that's too bad. I bet you would like her a lot, she's really sweet."

"I don't need any more friends... I've got my Zodiacs..." Akito argued that a glazed look crossed her dark eyes, and Marley only watched, unsure how she was supposed to comment on something like that.

She understood, for the most part, about Akito and her role with the Zodiacs. It was a powerful connection based on a spell or 'promise' from long ago that still ran through the Zodiac members' blood to this day.

But the Zodiac members still had friends and made connections outside of the Zodiac... why did Akito feel that she didn't need anyone else? And also...where did that put Marley in all of this.

Just an outsider, I suppose...

"What's all this junk." Akito gestured to the bags that Marley had brought and started going through everything herself.

"Oh, right! I thought we could have a little spa day! You know, maybe some mani-pedis and a face mask." Marley explained, shaking herself of the negative thoughts. It didn't do good to dwell on things she couldn't change.

"…..." Akito stared at her blankly, probably wondering how the two became friends in the first place.

"I'll let you pick my nail colour." Marley tried to entice her friend, and Akito pouted before giving in. Marley left to fill some tubs with hot water to soak their feet while Akito looked through the polish bottles that Marley brought. She was feeling kind of giddy as she looked browsed through the spectrum of colours.

.

The morning continued on, and Marley and Akito caught up on the porch while they soaked their feet in warm water before getting them ready to paint their nails; well, Marley was painting her nails. Akito was still on the fence. The last time Marley had painted Aktio's nails, she had removed it almost immediately after.

"So I took Miguel to Harajuku, and he scarfed down like 4 crepes in 20 minutes. But there were actually some charming vintage shops when we left the main area, and he found me this super-cool old suede jacket. It's too hot to wear right now, so I'm already looking forward to the fall." Marley spoke of her and Miguel's adventure around the city as Akito nodded along.

"What did you pick?" Marley asked, and Akito tossed a bottle her way. It was dark purple, almost black. It wasn't a colour that Marley might have picked for herself, but it was still stunning.

"What? You don't like it?" Akito asked as she watched Marley tilt her head at the bottle.

"No, I love it! It's a beautiful shade. Hey! It's almost the same colour as your eyes." Marley noticed as she held up the bottle, and Akito blushed a bit.

"What did you pick for yourself? feel like its always me doing my nails... or you trying to do my nails." Marley asked as she shook up the bottle of polish for herself.

"Men don't paint their nails." Akito simply stated but a dark look in her eyes.

"... well, that's not true." Marley could think of plenty of men who painted their nails.

"I'm head of the Sohma clan. It would be unfitting..." Akito mumbled as she glared at the nail polish bottle.

Marley was reminded that Akito was raised as a boy and everyone treated Akito as such. And she had certain expectations to uphold. This was always a strange situation, and Marley often asked why that was the way. But she was usually shushed and told it wasn't any of her business. But she never missed the uncertainty in Akito's eyes when she looked at the mirror a certain way.

"Well... you don't have to if you don't want to..." Marley pointed out, but by the small angry look on Akito's face as she stared at the nail polish, it was clear that Akito wanted to paint her nails but was holding back.

"What about just your toes? It'll be like a little secret that we have, and no one should notice. I'll do it for you", Marley proposed, and Akito agreed and showed Marley her pick.

It was a deep red colour, like the red of the flowers that Akito kept in her room. As Marley worked as a nail technician, she told Akito about all her summer vacation adventures so far and how nice it was catching up with Miguel and Gabriella.

"We also took a trip to the Tokyo sky tree, and the sky was so clear we were able to see Mt. Fuji in the distance. Oh, and we went to Tsukiji Market with Tohru, Hana and Uo. They got to enjoy some fresh sushi, and we found this stand that had really delicious strawberry daifuku." Marley good still taste the delicious treat, the soft mochi and the tart strawberry making for a wonderful combo

"We should go one time, it was lots of fun seeing all the stands!" Marley smiled as she painted Akito's toes before she did her own.

"I wanted to bring along Yuki and Kyo, but... it's a really touristy part and gets busy." Marley let out a small, sad sigh.

"They're fine. They are not yours to worry about." Akito snapped at Marley, but she didn't seem bothered and just shook her head.

"How can I not, though... and it would have been so much more fun if they got to come." Marley sighed, wishing there was a way to get her friends to come. Maybe she would look up what time of year was the least busy and plan around that.

There were lots of fresh tuna dishes that I bet Kyo would have loved; it would be fun to go with him and have him enjoy himself.

Akito watched as Marley painted the red shade on Akito's toes, but the clan's young leader could tell that Marley's mind was somewhere else, a soft look on her face and light blush on her cheeks.

"But that's why I'm looking forward to the beach house, they'll be able to relax a bit and enjoy the private beach. The only person we have to be careful of is Miguel... I don't know how we would handle Kisa 'poofing' into Tiger all of a sudden." Marley laughed as she tried to imagine the situation.

Miguel would probably think it was a prank at first... don't know how we would talk our way out of that one.

"You have such pretty toes, Akito, and the red looks really nice against your skin." Marley simply complimented as she finished putting the clear coat on.

"Don't say weird things..." Akito tried to wave off, but Marley only giggled and then moved on to ask what kind of sheet mask did Akito want to try.

It certainly felt nice to hang out, the only interruption being when a maid had walked in and saw the two girls with sheet masks on, and Aktio got embarrassed, ripping her's off and throwing it in the corner, embarrassed over being caught with it on.

Marley tried not to laugh, but it was too late, and soon the main house was filled the sounds of her laughter and Akito begging her to stop.

.

.

..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

Marley admired her dark toes as she walked through the Sohma Estate. The dark colour looked nice against her brown skin, and then for her hands, she had picked out very light pink. It was nice to have such a chill hangout with Akito before Marley left for the week.

Akito had been in a bit of a foul mood at first, but Marley blamed that on the hot day that could definitely put anybody in a bad mood.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a flash of flowing black hair and long pale legs disappearing around a corner.

"Zuzu!" Marley called out, but the girl kept walking, and Marley had to jog after her, the awkward sound of her flip flops slapping against the stone filling the air.

"Zuzu!" Marley called again as she caught up and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. As soon as she touched skin, Isuzu turned around.

"Is everything okay? Kagura says you haven't been around much. And I feel like... you've kind of disappeared." Marley had seen Isuzu less now than she was in the hospital, and it always felt like she was just missing her.

Is she avoiding me?

"It's none of your business." Isuzu brushed off Marley, and the good feeling the girl had moments ago was gone. Marley knew that Isuzu could have a bit of a cold tongue, she had been victim to it before, but this felt... different.

"Hey! Wait! Is it something... I did?" The white-blonde was able to get in front of Isuzu and tried to stare her down. The Zodiac member was wearing heeled boots, so the two stood eye to eye.

"It has nothing to do with you, Marley." Isuzu stood firmly, her eyes narrowing at Marley, telling her to back down. But Marley ignored the glare.

"So there is something?" Marley knew that Isuzu could be like this and wanted to do things on her own, but that didn't stop Marley from pushing. She could prove to be just as stubborn as the Horse Zodiac.

"Maybe I can help? How about you come over for tea, and we can catch up, and you can fill me in." Marley wasn't backing down. Marley felt she could call Isuzu her sister and felt hurt that she was pushing her away like this. The black-haired beauty let out a huff as a strong wind blew, and Isuzu's and Marley's long hair seemed to whip around them, the light and dark colours clashing.

"Tell me. Do you have feelings for Kyo?" Isuzu asked, hoping to get a different answer now that Marley had a few days to think about, hoping that she wasn't in too deep.

"I-…" Marley felt her words get caught in her throat and Isuzu could only watch as the look in Marley's eyes changed. Her eyes had such a softness before a sadness settled in.

"It's complicated, but I won't deny that I do like Kyo-" Marley admitted, but Isuzu slammed down her foot at the answer, making Marley stop and take a step away, surprised at how brash Isuzu was being towards her. Marley really couldn't understand why her feeling for Kyo should be so upsetting.

"You need to stop it," Isuzu warned her, and a part of Marley's felt a part of her heart cracking. A feeling of hurt washed over her. Isuzu was shooting her down and not even comforting in any way. Was it that ridiculous? Was Marley so foolish that Isuzu was trying to do her a favour by telling her off?

"What? But-… Is it because of Kagura? I promise I'm not planning on pursuing or anything. I doubt Kyo would feel the same anyway, and I know I'm not the best match or anything. Isn't it okay to just-" Marley tried to explain, assuming that Isuzu was protective of her fellow Zodiac members as they shared a bond while Marley was just an outsider.

"Marley. I'm warning you. Stop whatever you feeling. You need to back off." Isuzu interrupted, and Marley felt her jaw clench, and her heart felt like it dropped into her stomach.

And with that, Isuzu stormed off. Marley didn't feel like chasing after, not today. The sky started to rumble, and the once clear sky filled with dark clouds. The girl couldn't help but wonder if even the sky was feeling pity over the matters in Marley's heart and reflecting her own feelings.

_._

_How am I supposed to stop how I feel?_

.

Marley was ripped from her thoughts when her phone started going off, and she looked down to see Momiji's caller ID.

"Moshi moshi," Marley answered, trying to put forth her best voice.

"MARLEY-CHAN! Are you excited?!" Momiji yelled into the phone so loudly that Marley nearly dropped her cell in shock.

"Of course! Its gonna be so much fun! I'm nearly done all my packing." Marley returned the excitement, pushing down her disappointment and hurt feelings.

No need to burden Momiji with my drama... he would probably tell Marley to back away from Kyo too... in probably a softer way but still... better not give anything away.

"Let's go to the store tonight! We need to grab lots of fun stuff! Like maybe inflatable stuff and then a beach ball-" Momiji started rambling, but it reminded Marley that she needed to buy stuff from the store as well.

"Ah, we should actually pick up sunscreen too." Marley went through a list in her head, trying to envision all the things they would need for the trip.

"Exactly!" Momiji cheered, and Marley could just picture the energetic boy jumping up and down on the spot. Momiji certainly had a way of cheering her up, and she found his sunshine attitude contagious.

"Alright, that sounds good. When do you want to go?" Marley asked, and only a second later, she felt a tun on the back of her shirt and looked behind her to see Momiji's large eyes looking up her.

"Can we leave now?" Momiji asked, a bright smile on his face, and Marley laughed, merely nodding her head.

Momiji cheered as he hopped around Marley. He knew that she had been busy this last week and felt like he didn't get as much time with Marley and was looking forward to making many happy summer memories. Even something as simple as shopping together seemed exciting.

"Oh, and let's drop by and surprise Shigure and ask if they need anything. It's on the way."

The sky boomed again, and a strong wind blew through as Momiji and Marley hurried to her house to ask Tetsuo if his driver was available to give them a ride.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

.

"GET READY, GET READY! Vroom-vroom-vrooooom! We're setting out tomorrow with a boom!" Momiji yelled as he burst into the Shigure's living room as he held Marley's hand, and she used her free one to wave at Yuki and Tohru, who still looked shocked at the sudden arrival. Well, Tohru looked more shocked while Yuki seemed to be a bit more used to Momiji's sudden outbursts.

"Me and Marley-Chan are here to take orders," Momiji announced, a proud look on his face and Marley nodded and greeted everyone in the living room, apologizing for the sudden intrusion.

"... is it raining outside?" Yuki asked, but it was apparent it was pouring outside as both Momiji and Marley were wearing what looked like matching raincoats, Momiji's was bright yellow while Marley's was a soft lilac colour, almost matching the girl's eyes.

"Don't you two look cute." Shigure teased, but they were hardly bothered by the comment. Momiji was quite proud, and Marley thought the matching raincoats were adorable and was touched that her friend wanted to wear a matching set.

"Ah, it was a gift from Momiji. We got them during the rainy season, but lately, it has been so nice that I haven't had an opportunity to wear it.." Marley smiled as she put down the hood of the raincoat and slightly adjusted her French braid.

"Tomorrow's the day that we're heading to the Sohma Summer home!" Momiji cheered.

"And Momiji and I are going to the store to grab some supplies and wanted to ask if you guys needed anything," Marley asked.

"Ah! I need to start packing still!" Tohru jumped up and then turned to Marley, still feeling uncertain if she should be going.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to come? It just sounds so luxurious." Tohru fretted, but the white-blonde Sohma was having none of it.

"Of course it's okay for you to come! We want you there, Tohru." Marley insisted as she held the girl's hands in hers and gave them a light squeeze, and Tohru felt a wave of warmth wash over her.

"Leaving tomorrow feels so sudden..." Yuki softly said, but Marley caught it, and it was her turn to fret.

"Ah, that's my bad. I should have followed up after the invitations." Marley bowed her head in slight shame, and Yuki had to that insist that it was fine.

"We've actually been planning this for a month; we have everything set up for the most part. I just forgot when it came to making sure who could come. I guess I just got so excited to go on an adventure with everyone." Marley still felt a little embarrassed, and Momiji only giggled.

"Who is going?"

"Umm...lets see. Kisa and Hiro are coming. Kagura has school stuff, so she can't come. Miguel is coming. Momiji and Haru... Zuzu said no." Marley sighed, a flash of sadness crossing her features. Not only was her dear friend missing out on the summer trip, but Marley could feel Isuzu pushing her away, and she didn't know what to do.

"Zuzu?" Tohru asked, not recognizing the name and only more curious as Marley seemed to be slightly distraught at the very name.

"Isuzu Sohma, she's another Zodiac member," Momiji informed Tohru.

"And then its Kyo, Yuki and Tohru... oh and me! So 9!" Marley counted on her fingers.

"It's going to be so much fun! We'll catch stag beetles, and let's set off fireworks!" Momiji cheered, and Tohru agreed, nodding her head and smiling as she too was really excited to do all these things with the Sohma family.

"It does sound like fun. Maybe I'll go too." Shigure said as he folded up his newspaper.

"Really?! It'd be great if you could come." Momiji responded.

"Don't you have work to do?" Yuki challenged, but Shigure just gave him a cheeky grin.

"Nope!"

"I don't believe you, and that smile makes my stomach turn, so knock it off." Yuki warned him.

"Never mind me. Are you kids doing your summer homework? Going off to have fun when you have homework to do isn't cool." Shigure jokingly scolded as he wagged his finger at the teens.

"No worries there. I'm almost done with it." Yuki said without batting an eye.

"Finished up mine last night." Marley chirped.

"Mine's just about finished toooooo!" Momiji proclaimed, a proud smile on his face.

The room looked over to Tohru, who looked like she admitted to running over a deer and was bathed in regret. It was apparent that someone still had a load of summer homework to do.

.

The teenagers then moved up to Tohru's room and helped her with any questions she had about homework. Well, Yuki and Marley were helping while Momiji hung out.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm causing trouble again..." Tohru apologized again.

"I don't think of it as trouble, so relax." Yuki tried to console her as they worked on physics.

"Your English homework looks great, Tohru. You must have been working really hard on it." Marley noticed as she checked over some of Tohru's homework. It was undoubtedly a huge improvement from the last time that Marley had helped the brunette with the language homework.

"I did my best... but the physics homework is just so hard for me. I keep getting stuck.." Tohru admitted, and Marley couldn't help but agree. She struggled when it came to math and sciences, but Tetsuo had been quick to make sure Marley had tutors to help her with things like that.

"Ah, the physics was hard for me too, sorry I can't help you there." Marley apologized as she just made a small note on the homework for Tohru to look at.

"Hang in there, Tohru! You can do it!" Momiji cheered.

"Right! I'll do my best so that I can go to the vacation home with everyone..." Tohru got a determined look in her eyes.

"For the stag beetles!" Momiji cheered.

"For the fireworks!" Tohru cheered.

"For the watermelon smashing!" Marley jumped up, and it was almost like she had stars in her eyes. But she clapped her hands when she remembered what she originally came here for and realized that poor Sousuke was still in the car.

"May I borrow a piece of paper?" Marley asked Yuki as she sat back down.

"Of course. Here." Yuki handed Marley a piece of paper, and she got started jotting down some stuff.

"May I ask what you are writing?" Yuki asked as he tilted his head, noticing that she wrote things out in English instead of Japanese.

"Just a list. Can you think of anything you might need?" Marley asked the boy, and he shook his head and insisted he was fine, but Marley wasn't so sure.

"No sunscreen? What about a towel? Or toothpaste? Oh, and maybe some aloe vera!" Marley was trying to think of anything he would need.

"Aloe vera?" Yuki tilted his head, wondering what aloe vera was and why he would need it.

"You look like you might burn easily, even with sunscreen." Marley bluntly put as she wrote down the items and the boy's face flushed a little bit as it was true.

"I'll go ask Kyo! Huh... Where is he?" Momiji asked, and Tohru let him know what Kyo was resting in his room.

"Well, I'll go ask him and remind him of tomorrow! Besides, I don't want to get in the way of your homework. Good luck, Tohru!" Momiji waved goodbye as he left the room and went off to find Kyo.

"Thanks!"

"Ah, I should probably go get him. I imagine with this bad weather that Kyo might be a little exhausted. Tohru, are you sure there isn't anything I can pick up for you?" Marley asked as she looked over at the Brunnett.

"No, I could never ask you to do that and -"

"Tohru, if you don't give me something to buy you, then I will pick out something for you. How about a cute beach towel?" Marley threatened but with a cheeky smile.

"That's a strange threat," Yuki admitted.

"It's a promise." Marley winked, and Tohru wasn't sure what to expect now.

"Well, I should go collect Momiji, and then we'll probably head out. Oh, but we'll say bye before we go." Marley said as she stood up and stepped out, softly closing the door behind her.

.

..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

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"Kyoo!" Momiji called as he opened up the door to Kyo's room; he was lying on the floor, an open duffle bag beside him.

"Hey, Kyo. You sick?" Momiji asked as the orange-haired teen continued lying on the floor, his arm covering his face.

"I'm tired. I don't have the energy to talk to you. Get out." Kyo mumbled, too tired to properly yell at the younger boy. Momiji nodded but knew he had a job to do.

"We're going to the vacation house tomorrow, so get packed!" Momiji yelled with determination, and it started Kyo enough for him to sit up and properly glare at the blonde boy.

"I know already! You don't have to yell!" Kyo yelled at him as he finally got up.

"But you're coming with us, won't you- wow, it looks like you've already been packing!" Momiji hopped over to a duffle bag that seemed to have some clothes in it.

"Shut up, will ya..? I already said I would go." Kyo said as he slowly dragged his body to his closet, continuing to look through and pick what he would bring.

"Why I gotta pack for a trip when I'm already beat..." Kyo complained, the rainy weather depleting him of all his energy. Momiji watched and couldn't help but be slightly surprised at how quickly Kyo agreed. Something had changed.

"Your nicer than you used to be..." Momiji mumbled as he watched the orange-haired boy pack.

"Huh?!"

"Nothing! Oh, that's right! There something I wanna know! When can you get stag beetles other than at a department store?" Momiji asked with a determined look on in his eyes, and Kyo just raised an eyebrow before letting out a sigh of exhaustion.

"Are you serious?"

"Wait, you can get beetles from a department store?" Marley asked as she opened the door and stepped in, only catching the last bit of the conversation.

"How long have you been here?" Kyo seemed to jump at Marley's sight, and she only smiled a little guilty looking that she came in without knocking, but she had gotten intrigued over the idea of a department store selling those giant beetles she had only seen in pictures.

"…. I came with Momiji." Marley said, and then Kyo noticed what the two were wearing.

"Are you two wearing matching raincoats?" Kyo asked, and the two both threw up peace signs and posed.

"I'm too tired for this..." Kyo slumped, and Marley felt a little guilty for disturbing him when he was trying to rest.

"We just came by to see if anyone needed anything from the store for the trip. I'm sorry you're not feeling well." Marley apologized as she was aware that Kyo's body struggled in this kind of weather. It was too bad as Marley really enjoyed the rain and wished Kyo could enjoy it also.

"It's not like it's your fault..." Kyo shrugged.

"Still, it sucks that the weather makes you feel like this... But the weather looks like it's going to be a beautiful day tomorrow. Hopefully traffic isn't too bad. Me and Miguel even put together some music playlists for the beach – oh! I have to pack my Bluetooth speaker!" Marley put on a bright sunshine smile, and Kyo slightly smiled back, feeling the tiniest bit better seeing her so excited over the trip.

"But do you need anything from the store?" Marley asked Kyo, and he shook his head.

"Na, I'm good. What are you getting anyway?"

"I need to grab some coconut oil, and I wanted to grab some floaty things for the ocean. I want one of those donut things and maybe some goggles for seeing underwater. Oh, and I looked up that I should grab these bat things for smashing the watermelon." Marley explained as she went off and made strange hand gestures as she spoke. Momiji and Kyo just watched; Momiji was smiling as he was happy at how excited Marley was, and Kyo hardly understood a word that came out of her mouth.

But she certainly looked happy about whatever she was talking about.

Momiji looked back and forth between the two, and he felt like he might be seeing something that he had known for a while. Marley had appeared a little down earlier, even though she covered it well, but now it seemed her worries had been somewhat forgotten. And Kyo, who was at his worst when it came to days like this, even seemed softer and just a little more carefree.

"oh, and sunscreen and aloe vera for Yuki." Marley clapped her hands, and Kyo cringed at the mention of his rival.

"Why are you getting stuff for that damn rat..." He groaned, and Marley just tilted her head.

"Ha-ha! Kyo's jealous because Marley's looking out for Yuki." Momiji teased as he hopped around Kyo, who was visibly getting grumpier.

"Shut it! I am not!" The sound of glass breaking interrupted them, and they all looked at each other before they raced out of the room and went down the hall to check on Tohru.

"What happened, Tohru?! Are you okay?!" Marley asked as she rushed in, and Tohru was panicking; a cool wind blew in from the now broken window and glass littered parts of the floor.

"THE G-G-G-GLASS! THE GLASS!" Tohru stuttered as her whole body shook with distress.

"We get it calm down. Anyone hurt?" Kyo asked as he walked into the room.

"Oh! Wind, cease your blowing!" Momiji ordered, and Tohru was still in shock.

"C-cease blowing?"

"Like that would work! Idiot!" Kyo scolded, but that didn't seem to stop Momiji or Marley.

"Stop destroying Shigure's house, god of the wind," Marley ordered as she already knew her grandfather was going to have to sign off on permission to get Shigure's house fixed... again. It had become a bit of a joke on the estate how often the house needs repairs.

"Not you too, weirdo..." Kyo facepalmed, and Marley looked over at him before giggling as he just shook his head at her.

"For now, we need to block it... It's too dangerous, Honda-San. Please wait in another room." Yuki advised.

"I-I'm fine. I can help!" Tohru moved forward to try and clean up, but Marley was quicker and intercepted.

"Let's go, let Shigure know." Marley grabbed Tohru by the hand and led her out, Yuki sent her a thankful glance for getting Tohru out of harm's way, and she just winked as she left the room.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

"So it was the window breaking. I wondered what that sound was." Shigure nodded his head, understanding the situation.

"I'm so sorry..." Tohru bowed her head, feeling like it was her fault.

"Ah-hahahaha. Nobody to blame but the wind this time. But we'd better cover it up." Shigure suggested, not bothered in the least over the broken window.

"The boys are working on that now," Marley mentioned and imagined that Yuki and Kyo were actually doing all the work while Momiji watched. It was probably better that way.

"Don't worry. I'm not mad about it at all." Shigure waved of Tohru's apologies.

"Me and Momiji should probably head out. Our driver is waiting to take us to the store." Marley mentioned as she noticed how late it was starting to get and felt a wave at guilt over Sousuke in the car.

"Thanks for having us, Shigure. Maybe I'll see you at the beach house?" Marley proposed, and Shigure couldn't help but smirk just a little as going to a summer resort certainly sounded like fun. An idea popping into his mind about how to perhaps move things along.

Perhaps... this could be a good opportunity...

Marley soon left with Momiji, both in their matching raincoats, and they were off to the waiting car. The house settled back down after the excitement.

Shigure opened up the sliding door from his office and was met with an unexpected sight.

"Just so we're clear... I didn't break the window." Isuzu said as she stood with the wind whipping around her, her dark brown eyes seemed to stare into Shigure's soul, but he was mostly unbothered. Only curious.

"I know. Long time no see. Oh, and congrats on being discharged from the hospital, Rin." Shigure greeted her, it was indeed a surprise, but the novelist had a feeling that Isuzu would be making an appearance soon.

"Well, come on in. I'm sure this weather isn't good for your recovery." The adult waved her in, and she stepped into his office, not even bothering to take off her boots.

"Why was she here..." Isuzu asked, and Shigure simply asked who Isuzu was talking about.

"Marley... What was she doing here?" The teenager asked as she glared at her fellow Zodiac member, and he was a little surprised at the hostility.

"Just dropping by, asking if the kids needed anything for the beach trip." The older man explained as he sat down at his desk, making himself comfortable and gesturing for Isuzu to sit as well.

"Now. What brings you here?" He asked as he rested his chin on his hand and merely waited for Isuzu to come forward and ask.

"... You already know... don't you Gure-Nii? What I'm thinking and what I want?" Isuzu asked as she knelt down on the tatami mat of Shigure's office.

"Hmm, I'm not sure I can live up to your expectations." He smirked.

"You can. Give me an answer, Gure-Nii." Her deep dark eyes locked onto Shigure, but he was hardly bothered.

"Do I look like a simple man?" Shigure teased, but Isuzu was having none of it.

"No." She simply replied, and Shigure let out a small chuckle.

"Are you stupid? Or is playing the fool part of your plan?" The Dog mused as he leaned back in his seat.

"Well... what am I to do with you?" Shigure smirked as Isuzu leaned towards him, desperate for anything that would lead her to wish.

To free the people she loves and Shigure might be her only lead in what seemed like a next to a hopeless situation.

She would do anything. Give anything. Whatever it takes.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Morning birds chirped, bringing music to the other wisely quiet morning, and the sky was clear with a few white fluffy clouds. Marley looked at the dark door, hesitating about knocking, it was early in the morning, and she didn't want to disturb anyone.

But she wasn't sure about leaving the tub of food on the porch.

"It should be fine..." Marley leaned down to place it on the front steps, but the door opened right as she about to put it down.

"Marley-San?" An older woman with very straight light brown hair that only went to the nape of her neck and light brown eyes looked at the beautiful foreigner on her doorstep, curious as to why she was there.

"Oh! Good morning Sohma-San!" Marley stood back up, and the woman greeted her back. The two didn't know each other well, but they had met, and the woman was happy that Marley had the patience to teach Kagura how to cook.

"Um, I just wanted to drop this off; it's for your family and Zuzu. I made a few batches of Samosas this weekend. They're basically... um, they're kind of like dumplings in a sense. And I made these not spicy..." Marley handed over the Tupperware container, and Kagura's mother bowed in thanks as she grabbed it.

"Thank you so much, they look delicious." Kagura's mother took a peek inside the container and gazed at the large triangular-shaped foods.

"I hope they're okay. Oh, almost forgot. Here are the re-heating instructions." Marley pulled out a piece of her paper from her dress pocket.

Kagura's mother mentioned that she knew about the summer house trip, and Marley explained that they were actually leaving this morning, but she had wanted to drop off the food before she left. Marley had also hoped to see Isuzu before they left as she couldn't shake this feeling that her friend was keeping things from her. Important things.

"Umm. How is Isuzu doing, since she got back?" Marley asked, wondering if anyone else had noticed a change or if it was just Marley herself.

"Well... I hardly see her around much. I honestly just assumed she's been spending time at your house as usual." The woman explained, and Marley just looked at the ground.

"Has she not... I see. I imagine she's just working through a lot. It was a pretty nasty fall. And Isuzu has always been difficult and a cold. Sometimes I just don't know what to do about that girl."

"She's not cold." Marley snapped, and Kagura's mother was a bit taken back and felt two feet tall as she looked in Marley's large eyes locked onto her. Marley was such a polite and friendly young woman and had never seen her displeased at all.

"I didn't mean-" Kagura's Mother tried to apologize, but Marley simply stepped back as she bit her lip slightly. She understood that Isuzu might seem cold, but she wasn't. Marley knew that Isuzu was kind and caring, she just... Had trouble showing it and closed herself off a lot. But to Marley, Isuzu helped her when she was at her darkest and stayed by her side when she at her worst.

"I should get going. Sorry to bother you, I hope you enjoy these. Use the tamarind sauce sparingly, a little goes a long way." Marley advised as she quickly gave a small bow and promptly walked away. The adult calling her friend that just made her wonder how Isuzu was doing in that household. Was it not a good fit? Was that affecting her? Where had she disappeared to?

.

The white-blonde let out a sigh and just continued walking back to her home to grab her bag and say her goodbyes to her Dadaji. As she got closer, she noticed that he was already standing out front with her bag, and Gimli was sitting at his feet.

"Okay, are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself?" Marley asked for had to be the 100th time. She felt like her Dadaji was missing out on all the summer fun, but he insisted that he had much work to do and had no time for a vacation.

"I can't promise the bird will still be here." Tetsuo groaned, wondering how he got stuck with a natural alarm clock that went off at 5 every morning. Zazu had been a recovering 'guest' for the last week, and the vet said that he should be fine to set free after two weeks. The plan was once Marley got back, they would be able to release him back into the wild.

If the poor bird made it that long...

"Huh?"

"... if it chirps too much, I'm letting the little monster have it," Tetsuo smirked, and Marley dropped her jaw at the very thought before looking down at the Gimli, who was sitting there looking quite proud.

"What?! NO!?" Marley protested and even picked up the large cat to try and have a talk with him.

"Gimli! Zazu is a guest, and you will not eat our guests. Please be a good boy! I promise to feed you extra shrimp when I get back." Marley lectured as she cuddled the cat close to her chest, rocking him like one would rock a baby as she cooed at him, and he only meowed back.

"I'm only kidding. Enjoy your trip. I'll look after everything. Just promise me you'll try not to get into trouble." Tetsuo told her as he took the large cat out of her arms and held it like it was a bomb. Gimli struggled a bit before getting free, and running off to do what Marley imagined was his morning route.

"What do you mean?" Marley asked, wondering what kind of trouble her Dadaji thought she was capable of.

"You'll barely have any adult supervisor... except for the maids..." Tetsuo was more thinking out loud now as he imagined what kind of trouble a house full of teenagers could get up too. His own son had used the summer home once to have a party, but he doubted Marley would do such a thing. Marley? No. Miguel? Maybe.

"What do you think we'll get up too?" Marley giggled over her slightly protective Dadaji. It was sweet but funny.

"... I remember what it was like to be young." Tetsuo argued as he raised a brow at the teenager who had yet to show any real rebellious sprit.

"Okay, I promise. No 'ragers.' No big house parties and no drugs." Marley made that action of crossing her heart, and the elder was already slightly regretting booking the summer house for them.

"I'll take it. You better hurry along before traffic bad." The man waved her off, but Marley just smiled and wrapped her arms around him, and he grumbled, but the returned the hug, wishing her a safe strip and reminding her to phone him when they arrived.

"Byyyyyye Tetsuo-Oji-San!" Momiji hopped over and hugged the man around his waist, and the Sohma elder rolled his eyes and patted him on the back. Haru bowed slightly before grabbing Marley's bag for her, and the trio headed towards the main gate where the shuttle bus was waiting as the old man watched as they walked away.

Kisa and Hiro were already waiting at the gate by the bus. The young Zodiacs ran over to meet Marley, Kisa latching herself to Marley's side and grabbing a bit of black fabric of Marley's cami wrap dress, and Hiro scolded Marley for being late and making them wait.

"You're the one who planned this, shouldn't you be here first?" Hiro asked as he stared up at Marley, a small smirk on his face, but Marley just giggled and patted his head.

"Ah, sorry, had to have a talk with Gimli about not eating Zazu." Marley apologized, and Hiro simply rolled his eyes before grabbing her hand and leading her onto the bus.

"Marley-Onee-Chan, I think Hiro-Chan is excited about the beach," Kisa said with a small smile, and Marley agreed. Hiro denied that he was excited, and both the girls giggled.

Kisa sat next to Marley, and the two dove into a conversation about ballet as the bus drove and picked up everyone else. Tohru, Kyo and Yuki were waiting at the roadside, and the Marley stepped off the bus to greet them.

"Good morning!" Marley hopped off the bus and gave her three friends a bright smile. Marley and Tohru hugged while the boys just waved, trying not to feel left out.

"Good morning Marley-Chan! You look so cute!" Tohru gushed as she admired Marley's simple black wrap dress that went to her mid-calf and showed off her figure beautifully. Yuki and Kyo's eyes travelled to Marley's bust, but both went red and stared at the ground, feeling a little embarrassed over checking Marley out and hoped they didn't get caught.

"Aw, thanks. You look so cute too, I love that dress." Marley complimented Tohru's cute blue mini-dress and immediately fell into conversation as they hopped onto the bus, and the boys followed. Everyone quickly took their seats after they put their bags away. Miguel was the last to get one to get picked and sat at the back, taking up the whole row as he decided he needed to keep sleeping.

"He's never been a morning person." Marley explained to Tohru, who had looked a little concerned as she sat in the row in front of her. The morning bus ride was relatively quiet, people just enjoying the morning ride, but it was around lunchtime that they figured they should make a stop somewhere.

But Miguel was still sleeping.

"I'll show you a trick his sister taught me." Marley whispered to Tohru as the two looked to the back of the bus, where Miguel was still sprawled out on the back row and snoring. Marley knew that he could sleep through an earthquake, but she did know something that could wake him.

"Um, are you sure it's alright to wake him?" Tohru looked a little nervous, not wanting to disturb him.

"He'll be more upset if he wakes up and learns we got food without him. Plus... think of it as small payback when he got us caught in that water fight at school," Marley explained as she plugged in her phone into the bus speaker system and scrolled through her music, stopping on an icon that read 'Selena.'

Marley was only kidding; she wasn't mad about Miguel spraying her with water. Marley was actually feeling like the two of them were becoming close again, and this time the boundaries had been set, and she could have her friend back.

"Alright, watch this." Marley smiled, and Tohru could see the slight bit of mischief behind it as she hit play and loud but catchy music filled the bus along with a feminine melodic voice.

_Yo sé que tienes un nuevo amor_

_Sin embargo, te deseo lo mejor_

_Si en mí encontraste felicidad_

_Tal vez alguien más te la dará_

"I'm up! I'm UP!" Miguel practically leaped up and was on his feet before looking around completely confused before looking at the front of the bus where Marley had a cheeky smile, and Tohru looked a little amused as well.

_Como la flor_

_Con tanto amor_

_Me diste tú_

_Se marchitó_

"Dammit..." He ran a hand through his hair as his cheeks burned a little, a slight blush appearing on his lightly tan face.

"Gabriella told me that she blasts this song whenever they clean the house and gets him up. Their mother cleans the house to this kind of music." Marley whispered to Tohru, and she awed at the information as if it was a grand secret. The music certainly sounded fun, and she could imagine cleaning the house to the upbeat tune.

"We there yet?" Miguel yawned as he looked out the window before walked to the front of the bus.

"Just stopping to stretch our legs and get some food. We've still got a few hours to go." Marley explained as Miguel yawned and stretched; everyone else was off the bus already waiting for them to get Miguel up and moving.

"Sweet. I'm starving." Miguel quickly exited the bus and Marley, and Tohru promptly followed.

The group ended up separating slightly, going off to grab what they could. Miguel followed Marley, Kisa and Hiro to a small omurice shop, and Hiro watched in slight horror and as Miguel not only finished his own meal but ate what Marley and Kisa couldn't. Hiro kept his plate protected, his eyes watching Miguel's spoon to make sure it didn't come close to his own meal.

"That was pretty good, didn't look that appetizing at first, could of have maybe used some hot sauce though," Miguel mentioned as they left the small shop, and Marley spotted Haru and Kyo hanging outside a convenience store.

"Let's grab some snacks! I was craving some chocolate almonds." Marley told Kisa as they held hands and walked along. Miguel chose to hang out with Haru and Kyo outside the store while the other three went inside, where they met up with Tohru and Yuki.

"Great minds think alike." Marley teased as both her and Yuki went for the cold bottles of green tea in the refrigerated area.

"I was feeling a little parched on the bus. I don't think I've been on one for so long." Yuki admitted as he politely smiled over at Marley.

"Really? Never took long road trips?" Marley asked as she also grabbed a blue Gatorade for Miguel.

"No, my mother-. It just wasn't my family's thing. Did you take road trips with your family Marley-San?" Yuki asked, wanting to get away from the topic of his own family.

"Mhm. Whenever we could. We mostly drove to Southern California for the beaches, or this one time, my Bapu drove us up to Vancouver for a wedding. I think we must have been in the car for at least 18 hours or something." Marley thought back, a small smile on her lips as she remembers her parents singing along to the radio and stopping only once for waffles at a small diner.

"18 hours?! That's sort of amazing." Yuki was certainly astonished, and Marley only nodded, mentioning that her Bapu was a champ when it came to long drives, but even Yuuto Sohma had was thankful when they finally arrived at their final destination.

Kisa picked out some candy for herself, and Hiro ended up grabbing the stuff from Marley's hands and paid for everything, claiming it was only because Marley treated them for lunch, but he had a little blush on his cheeks.

"You're such a cutie." Marley simply stated, not trying to tease but simply voicing what was going through her head.

"Shut it!" Hiro snapped, his face only growing redder, and Kisa and Marley both giggled, knowing Hiro's true nature.

When the group walked out of the convenience store, Marley was surprised to see Kyo and Miguel standing in front of one another. They weren't saying a word, but they seemed to be locked into some sort of staring contest.

"Um... everything okay?" Marley asked, and the two seemed to snap out of it, both turning their gaze to the white-blonde girl. Kyo huffed and walked off, and Miguel shrugged before grabbing the small plastic bag from her and slinging his arm over the girl's shoulders.

"Just...Talking about the long bus ride." Miguel stated, and while Marley wasn't convinced, she figured now maybe wasn't the time to dig as everyone else left the convenience store.

Everyone piled back into the bus, and Miguel had Marley sit next to him, asking if her phone had videos or something as he put his own phone at the front using the in-bus charging cable. The two fell into a comfortable conversation as they looked at some dance Youtube videos. Momiji sat in the row behind them and was peeking around to see what they were watching, both boys trying to talk Marley into trying some of the choreos they saw.

Hatsuharu was sitting a few rows back from the two foreigners with Yuki and looked across the aisle and watched as Kyo seemed to be glaring at Miguel.

"Ah. I wonder..." Haru voiced, and Kyo stopped his staring and looked out the window instead as he spat words at his cousin.

"I don't care what you're wondering, keep it to yourself." The boy grumbled, clearly bothered about something, and Haru could take a guess or two to what it was.

"What if the flame is rekindled?" Haru asked, which caused Kyo to turn back and stare at him, a look of confusion and annoyance in his eyes.

"Hah?"

"Once separated by time and distance. Lovers. Now reunited." Haru said in his usual monotone speech, but he also knew that these words had the possibility of stirring up something.

"...LOVERS?!" Kyo yelled as he shot up, and everyone on the bus looked over at him. Even the bus driver had looked back to see what the commotion was about.

"Kyo? Is everything okay?" Marley asked as she stared at him with those large amethyst eyes, and then Kyo noticed Miguel, who was slightly smirking at him, and Kyo sat back down and crossed his arms, telling everyone to leave him alone.

Momiji popped up from behind Marley and Miguel's row, standing on his bus seat to look over.

"Don't worry, Marley-Chan! He's just mad that he didn't get a chance to sit next to you on the bus." Momiji giggled, unable to help himself.

"Shut it, Rabbit! I'm not mad! Don't say stupid stuff!" Kyo snapped as he glared over at the energetic blonde boy.

"What an idiot." Yuki's voice could be heard, and this just led into more yells, and Marley only laughed at the boys, calling them silly, which caused both of them to quiet down.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

Day turned to night, and the teenagers finally arrived at a large house. It was two stories and had a large patio along with an upstairs balcony. It was an older style but looked like it been refurbed recently, traditional with modern touches. One could even hear the waves of the ocean that was within short walking distance.

"It's gorgeous! I can't believe I get to stay here for summer vacation!" Tohru had stars in her eyes as she stepped out of the bus, and Marley quickly agreed with as she took in the large house that her grandfather had booked for them.

"I'm gonna go pick my room!" Momiji cheered as he burst through the front door and raced upstairs to check everything out.

"Everyone needs to share rooms!" Marley called out as she carried in a tote bag full of beach stuff that she had picked up the night before while the boys took care of grabbing the rest of the bags.

The 2 maids hired to work at the summer house greeted everyone but focused more on the girls, calling Marley the 'young master' while they called Tohru the cutest as she blushed and denied.

"Young Master?" Miguel asked as he raised a brow, and Marley rubbed the back of her head.

"Well, she technically is Tetsuo-Sama's ward, so Marley-San is considered pretty important," Haru explained, and this only caused Marley to try and deny it and run off before the maids could fret over her more.

Everyone put their stuff away in the rooms they would be staying in. Marley, Tohru and Kisa would be sharing a room, the bed was king size and could easily fit all three girls, and the other 3 rooms were split between the boys.

After everyone settled in a bit, they all seemed to congregate to the kitchen and living room area except for one or two. Marley was talking on the phone with Tetsuo and letting him know that everyone had gotten there safely. He grumbled a good night, and Marley promised that she would call tomorrow to keep him updated.

"I have to admit... I'm still a little too excited to sleep." Marley sighed as she got herself some water from the tap in the kitchen and everyone seemed to agree for the most part as they lounged in the living room.

"We should order some food in too; lunch was a while ago, and I don't want to make a mess in the kitchen," Marley suggested and already insisted on maids taking the night off. Miguel didn't know a lot of Japanese, but he learned enough words to tell that Marley was talking about food.

"Pizza." Miguel called from the couch he was already lounging on as he scrolled through his phone.

"That sounds good! It's been a while since I've had pizza." Marley said as she looked around, and no one seemed to object to the option.

"I'll look up to see who's delivering." Haru offered as he brought out his phone and booted up his food delivery app.

"What kind of pizza would you like, Kisa?" Marley asked, and she simply said, 'cheese.'

"That's my favourite! Will you share with me? I don't think I could handle a whole one to myself." Marley asked, and Kisa nodded with a smile, happy that she and Marley liked the same things.

While they waited for the pizza to be delivered, Momiji skipped over to Marley and asked to borrow her phone, and she quickly passed over her device while asking what he needed it for.

"I'm too excited to sleep! I wanna celebrate our first night and dance!" Momiji announced as he went over to the entertainment system by the TV. And plugged in Marley's phone and looked through the music, Kisa and Hiro joined him and looked over his shoulder as they talked about what to play.

"Do they ever tire out?" Kyo asked as he entered the kitchen, fresh from the shower, his hair slightly damp.

"We're ordering in some pizza. What type would you like?" Marley asked as he leaned back on the kitchen counter next to her.

"What is it?" Kyo asked.

"What's Pizza?" Marley asked, feeling uncertain of what he was asking as pizza seemed to be so international.

"Ya. Well... I've heard of it, but I've never had it." Kyo shrugged, and Marley's jaw dropped as she tried to think of the best way to explain the tasty Italian dish.

"Oh... um, its bread with stuff baked on top." Marley simply put, leaving Kyo to picture toast with cheese on top.

"That's a terrible description, Marley-nee." Hiro scoffed, and Marley fretted as she tried to figure out how to better word it, but the more she described it, the worse it got.

"Whatever, just save me some, I guess. As long as it doesn't have leeks, I'm fine." Kyo shrugged.

"You can share with Kisa and me." Marley suggested, and Kyo agreed, figuring whatever they were having would be safe.

Momiji finally found some music he liked and pressed play. The familiar tune made Marley let out a small gasp before a bright smile appeared on her face.

_Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time_

_I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out, yeah_

_And floating around in ecstasy_

_So don't stop me now don't stop me_

_'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time_

"Marley-Chan! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance with me!" Momiji grabbed Marley's hands and dragged her around and she laughed spun with him, careful of her surroundings still as to not make any of the Zodiac members.

_I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky_

_Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity_

_I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva_

_I'm gonna go, go, go_

_There's no stopping me_

"They look like they're having fun." Tohru smiled as she watched the two as they danced around and sang along. Tohru recognized the song; she could picture her mother playing it, the classic UK band had been a favourite of Kyoko's. Kisa pulled on Tohru's dress to her attention.

"Tohru-Onee-Chan, would you like to dance too?" Kisa shyly asked, and Tohru's heart melted at the girl's large eyes looking up at her.

"I'm not very good, so I might not be a good partner-but I would be honoured." Tohru was nervous but couldn't possibly say to the sweet girl, and Kisa gave a big smile and dragged her over to Marley and Momiji, who were hopping around and swinging to the music. Marley looked over and saw Hiro huffing and laughed at his somewhat obvious jealousy before dancing over the grabbing his hands, dragging him over to the makeshift 'dancefloor.'

"Wait-what the hell?!" Hiro yelled as he was slightly panicked.

"C'mon Hiro, it's time to dance! We're celebrating summer vacation." Marley laughed as she held his hands and swung him around, careful not to let him fall and not get to close accidentally. Reminding herself to be wary of the curse.

_Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time_

_I'm having a ball_

_Don't stop me now_

_If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call_

_Don't stop me now ('cause I'm having a good time)_

_Don't stop me now (yes, I'm havin' a good time)_

_I don't want to stop at all_

"She certainly makes it look easy, huh?" Haru smiled as he watched Marley and the rest dance carefree, Marley sneaking in Hiro to dance with Kisa, which made both of the kids happy as Marley danced with Momiji and Tohru. Miguel watched from the large couch, his phone out as he recorded.

"I don't understand how they can have so much energy." Kyo groaned, but he couldn't deny that watching the dancing was entertaining.

"C'mon you guys! Join in!" Marley called over the boys as a new song started, and Haru shrugged and pulled Yuki, declaring he wanted to dance with him while Yuki shoved him away and escaped to the couch to be safe. A new song started up that was a bit more modern.

_I been tryna call_

_I been on my own for long enough_

_Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe_

_I'm going through withdrawals_

_You don't even have to do too much_

_You can turn me on with just a touch, baby_

Kyo rolled his eyes but brought his attention back to Marley, who was leading Tohru is a simple dance as Momiji danced around them. Tohru was really enjoying herself as well, and it was nice to the two kind-hearted girls having so much fun over a simple dance.

_I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights_

_No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch_

_I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night_

_Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_I'm running out of time_

_'Cause I can see the sun light up the sky_

_So I hit the road in overdrive, baby_

Marley looked over, and her soft amethyst eyes met Kyo's bright marigold ones, a gentle blush graced her cheeks, and Kyo felt his heart skip a beat before his own face went hot.

_ The hell was that?! _

The boy felt confused and went over to the sink to grab some more water, filling his cup and gulping it down, trying to cool himself off. As he was trying to distract himself, the song ended, and a new song started.

_Stir it up, little darlin', stir it up, me on, baby_

_Come on and stir it up, little darlin', stir it up, oh-oh_

Kyo recognized the voice, and even though he wasn't very familiar with much music, he knew the artist of this song. Bob Marley, the artist that Marley has been named after. Kyo didn't know why her mother had named her that, but whenever he heard this artist's music, Kyo would immediately picture his Marley.

_'My' Marley... what the hell is wrong with me?!_

The Cat of the Zodiac was so caught up in trying to figure out what was going on with him that he didn't notice Momiji sneaking up beside him.

"Kyo! Come on! Even you can dance to this!" Momiji tugged on his shirt and gestured to Yuki and Marley, who were just swaying back and forth, grooving to the chill song. Kyo didn't like it one bit and almost as quick as lightning had stepped between the two.

There was an awkward pause, and everyone seemed to be staring, waiting for some sort of confrontation, but Marley just grabbed both of their hands and continued dancing. Kyo was a bit stiff, but the soft look on Marley's face as she effortlessly moved to the music made him calm down a bit, and even he started swaying. The calming effects of reggae music and Marley was undoubtedly powerful.

_It's been a long, long time, yeah (stir it, stir it, stir it together)_

_Since I've got you on my mind (oh-oh-oh-oh) oh-oh_

_Now you are here (stir it, stir it, stir it together), I said_

_It's so clear_

_To see what we could do, baby, (oh-oh-oh-oh)_

_Just me and you_

_Come on and stir it up, little darlin'_

_Stir it up, come on, baby_

_Come on and stir it up, yeah_

_Little darlin', stir it up O-oh_

The teenagers stayed up, dancing, laughing and finally settling in when the pizza arrived, filling their bellies.

Marley laid on the right side of the bed with Kisa in the middle and Tohru sleeping soundly on the other side. The girl fidgeted with her silver locket as she thought of the day's events as she hummed the Bob Marley song that almost everyone danced to. Even Kyo had joined in and looked like he was having some, and that made Marley so happy, she couldn't erase the smile from her cheeks.

_This is going to be so much fun; I can't wait to make more memories with everyone._

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsukiji Market: Tsukiji Outer Market is a district adjacent to the site of the former Tsukiji Wholesale Market. It consists of a few blocks of wholesale and retail shops, as well as restaurants and food stalls crowded along narrow lanes. Here you can find fresh and processed seafood and produce alongside knives and other kitchen-related goods.
> 
> Daifuku: Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. Daifuku comes in many varieties.
> 
> Omurice: Western-influenced style of Japanese cuisine, consisting of an omelet made with fried rice and thin, fried scrambled eggs, usually topped with ketchup. It is a popular dish both commonly cooked at home and often found at western-style diners in Japan.
> 
> Samosa: A samosa is a fried or baked pastry with a savoury filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, cheese, beef and other meats, or lentils. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region.
> 
> Songs:
> 
> Como La Flor – Selena
> 
> Don't Stop Me Now – Queen
> 
> Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
> 
> Stir It Up – Bob Marley and the Wailers
> 
> Hello! Peachie here!
> 
> We are at the beach! The Beach arc is here! It took 11 chapters but we're here LOL  
> I appreciate the feedback so much. I still feel like a newbie when it comes to writing as this is still my first story and because I care so much about it, I tend to get nervous and anxious when there is no feedback.
> 
> Much love and good vibes to all.
> 
> Thanks for reading and hope ya'll are staying safe.
> 
> Please leave a review if you can, anything is highly appreciated :)


	12. Since I've Got You On My Mind

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The hot sun beat down on the beach that looked like it came out of a travel magazine, and the ocean water was so inviting in the Japanese summer heat.

"Wow! The ocean! It so blue." Tohru gazed out at the beautiful sight in awe as the Sohma's smiled and placed everything down on the soft white sand.

Marley had already gotten a look at the ocean this morning when she had gone for a jog, but it still looked just as beautiful the 2nd time she saw it, and it was made even better now that she was with her friends.

"Kisa, sit still." Marley laughed as she tried to braid Kisa's hair into a French braid to keep it out of her face while she went swimming. Kisa was clearly excited and kept staring at the ocean.

"There." Marley slipped on the elastic to Kisa's braid.

"Thank you, Marley-Onee-Chan!" The young girl hugged Marley before Momiji came and pulled Kisa and Tohru to the water, yelling at Marley to hurry up and change.

"I'll be in soon!" Marley yelled back as she slipped off her jeans shorts and threw off her oversized T-shirt, throwing it on one of the large beach blankets they had brought. The girl took her long white-blonde hair and split it down the middle, braiding her hair into tight dutch braids before getting started on sunscreen.

"Need help with your back," Miguel asked Marley as he slipped off his black muscle tee, his sleeve tattoos on full display along with the large angel wings on his back. The Sohma boys slightly dropped their jaws as they certainly hadn't expected it. Except for Haru, who told Miguel that it was sick and wondered if he could pull something like that off.

Hiro, Kyo and Yuki wondered if all American teenagers had tattoos. Or if they all were as tall as Miguel.

After quickly spreading some sunscreen onto Marley's back before throwing the bottle at Hatsuharu. Miguel turned around, and Marley finally caught sight of his back and dropped her jaw at the large piece of art of his back.

"That's a new piece. When did you get it?" Marley asked Miguel, who just shrugged and mentioned he got it last fall as a last-minute decision, but he had planned on angel wings for a while.

Marley had gotten used to his arm sleeves and had even gone with him when he got one of the sleeves done. While technically Miguel was still underage and shouldn't be getting tattoos, the tattoo shop he went too didn't really care as long as they got paid.

_Plus, Miguel pulls them off REALLY well_.

"How long did it take?" Marley asked as she looked over all the detailed feathers.

"About 2 6 hour sessions." He shrugged, honestly not really remembering, and Marley complimented that it looked stunning.

"Stop looking at me like I'm a piece of meat." Miguel slapped Marley on her butt, and she let out a small, high-pitched squeak as he smirked and ran into the ocean where Momiji and Tohru were calling him over. Marley just shook her head but laughed a bit as he dove into the water, splashing Tohru and Momiji in the process.

.

What Marley didn't notice was that all the boys behind her who had just witnessed the playful 'smack' were in shock and trying not to stare at the slightly reddish print on Marley's left cheek. The boys felt a glare and looked over to see Hiro sending them a judging look that made them feel like perverted old men. Typically Hiro wasn't all that intimidating, but Kyo and Yuki felt the shame and averted their gaze.

The light purple with the Hawaiian-Esque floral accents was perfect for summer, and Marley was still in slight shock that the boy who wore a red hoodie to the beach had picked out such a perfecting fitting bikini for her.

Marley was still a little self-conscious of the white scar in the middle of her chest, but she loved the bikini too much to let that scar stop her.

"That's a cute bikini, Marley." Hatsuharu complimented, and Marley grinned, mentioning that Kyo was the one to pick it out as she stood tall in the swimsuit. She really did love the two-piece Kyo had picked out.

"DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO BE QUIET ABOUT THAT!?" Kyo jumped up and yelled, but Marley just let a small 'oops' leave her lips, feeling a little bad for embarrassing him like that. Kyo groaned before sitting himself back on the blanket, ignoring the rest of the Sohma boys' surprised looks.

"Hiro, aren't you going in?" Hatsuharu asked as it seemed Hiro was making no move to join as he glared out at the ocean.

"No. All of you are acting like a bunch of children." Hiro huffed, but Marley noticed him staring out at Kisa and Tohru having fun splashing around in the water.

_He must be mad that Kisa's off having fun with Tohru already_.

"Ah... Young love." Marley sighed as she smiled softly, and this made Hiro raise a brow at her before letting out a huff of air and turning away.

Truth was that Marley had actually planned on reading on the beach for a bit before swimming, but now she had a new mission.

"Aww, c'mon Hiro, I wanna go swimming. Let's go jump in from over there. It'll be fun!" Marley leaned down towards Hiro, her hands on her knees and a big smile on her face.

No one could resist, not even the most stubborn of rams.

"Fine... only because I don't want you to look silly going by yourself." Hiro huffed, and Marley grabbed his hand and the pink inflatable donut that she had blown up that morning. The two walked further out, being careful as they walked on a rocky ledge that led to a deeper part of the ocean, and Marley threw out the innertube into the sea before gearing up to jump in.

"C'mon Hiro." Marley laughed as she held out her hand to him, and he grumbled a bit before taking it and got ready to jump in with her. Marley tried not to giggle over the small look of excitement in Hiro's eyes.

.

"Okay, 1...2... 3!" The two cannonballed in, the refreshing cold water was a saviour in the hot weather, and Hiro wanted to do it again, and they both crawled out to jump in again. Marley managed to even bring out the kid in Hiro as he started to enjoy himself.

The two swam around a bit before Marley and Hiro joined the others in the shallower part of the ocean. Yuki wondered how they had seemed to have so much energy, and everyone seemed to be having so much fun.

"What about you, Kyo, going in?" Haru asked, and Kyo scoffed and laid down on his blanket.

"Not on your life."

"I'm surprised Sensei isn't here. I didn't think he would miss this for the world." Haru mentioned as he stretched his arms a bit while he looked out at everyone in the water.

"He said he's come later after getting some work done, but why were you so sure he'd come?" Yuki asked, curious as to why Hatsuharu had expected the older Zodiac member.

"He's missing out on Honda-San and Marley in a tight swimsuit." He simply stated as if it wasn't an utterly shameless statement.

"Don't talk like that!" Both Yuki and Kyo yelled in unison, ready to throttle the Cow of the Zodiac.

"It's a normal thought of any teenager." Haru shrugged as he stared out at the ocean, not seeing the harm in enjoying their sweet youth and bikini season.

"You ain't no normal teen." Kyo jumped and brought Hatsuharu in for a headlock, ignoring his small sounds of discomfort.

Marley looked over to the beach, where it looked like Kyo and Haru were roughhousing a bit as Yuki just sunbathed a bit. The girl's attention was diverted by Momiji's cheering and saw a mass of splashes moving through the ocean.

"...Does.. does she not know how to swim?" Miguel asked as he swam up to Marley, who just continued to watch as Tohru finally came to a stop and was gasping for air.

Marley had seen Tohru at the school pool and could have sworn the girl had swum just fine but then she also remembered that she had been dog-paddling around with a small flotation device.

"Oi Tohru!" Miguel yelled, grabbing the girl's attention as he and Marley quickly swam over to where Tohru was still catching her breath.

"YES?" She heaved as she started to get the air back in her lungs, but a distressed look still on her face.

"Your swimming is umm.." Marley was trying to think of something to say but didn't want to come off as mean.

"... like nothing... I've ever seen." Marley finished, feeling right about the comment as it wasn't a lie.

_Nailed it_

"Got that right," Miguel smirked, and Marley nudged him in the ribs, but he pushed her into the water.

"We- were you watching me? I was really swimming, right?! Then I shall try again! Once more! Watch!" She was clearly motivated as she tried to give it her all once more.

"Woah, Woah, chill Chica. The sea will sweep you out." Miguel was easily able to hook his arm around her small waist and kept her in place before she 'swam' off again, and Tohru couldn't help but slightly marvel at his strong arms that were decorated with black ink.

Miguel pulled Tohru to the more to the shallows as Marley followed till they could stand comfortably, the waves of the ocean coming to their chests. Well, Tohru's chest and Miguel's waist.

"Miguel can teach you, he's really patient when it comes to teaching, and he's a really good swimmer," Marley suggested, and Miguel blushed lightly but was accompanied by a confident smile. Tohru tried to make excuses and insisted that she could stay in the shallows as she didn't want to trouble anyone, but the two weren't backing down.

"He'll make sure you don't drown, he's super strong. Did you know that Miguel helped my practice lifts in a local pool." Marley continued, and Tohru blinked owlishly, not entirely understanding what Marley meant.

"Lifts?" Tohru asked as she tried to imagine what Marley was talking about.

"For dance. I was really nervous, and Miguel insisted that he was strong enough to help me out. And falling in the water is not nearly as scary as falling on the hard ground." Marley explained, but Miguel figured it might just be easier to show them.

"Here." Miguel gestured for Marley to come towards him. Marley placed her hands on Miguel's shoulders while he gripped Marley's waist. Like it was nothing, Miguel lifted her up in the air and seemed like something out of a movie. Everyone looked over to see what the two were up to. Then Miguel flat out threw Marley, and she crashed into the water.

"I knew you were gonna do that." Marley sputtered as her head popped back up.

"Wanna try again," Miguel smirked, and Marley was already at a safe distance away, her pink innertube back in her grasp.

"No, thank you. I'm just going take my donut far over there where I can relax." Marley shook her head as she swam to the deeper part of the ocean, giving Miguel and Tohru room for their swimming lesson.

"Me! me! I wanna try! I wanna try!" Momiji cheered as he splashed his way over. Miguel obliged, lifting the younger boy and threw him into the ocean. It looked like the swimming lesson had been cancelled, and it was now just Miguel goofing off with Tohru and Momiji in the water.

Lifting herself on the flotation device, she drifted along, enjoying the sunshine and the gentle waves accompanied by the sounds of her friends laughing. She closed her eyes and hummed lightly as the sea rocked her. It would be easy for anyone to fall asleep.

"Oi. Planning on drifting out so sea?" She heard a voice yell to her, and she peeked open to see Kyo standing on the dark rocks with his arms crossed.

"Hmm, huh? No..." Marley simply put, but Kyo looked less than convinced. Marley looked up at him as she slipped into the water and casually leaned on the innertube, her head resting on her forearms as she stared up into marigold orange eyes.

"Are you coming? The waters really nice." Marley tried as she wanted Kyo to come in and enjoy himself as she knew that their time at the summer resort would be over before they knew it.

"I hate the water." He scoffed as he stared at the blue ocean water as if it told him to jump off a bridge and then said his dreams would never come true.

"Ah... Right..." Marley tried not to look too disappointed as she rested her arms on the innertube, floating there while Kyo stood on the land.

_The spirit of the Cat hates the water... but if he wasn't part of the Zodiac, would he like the water then?_

"Can't you at least stay by the others or something," Kyo asked as he nodded his head to where everyone else was swimming, closer to the beach.

"I'm not too far. Plus, this way, I can hang out with you, and you don't have to be in the water." Marley pointed out, happy that she could just spend some time with him. Kyo let out a sigh and tried to hide his small smile as he sat down on the rocks, his bare feet lightly touching the saltwater.

"Would you be interested in some frisbee? We can play on the beach." Marley offered, figuring that if Kyo wouldn't come in the ocean, they could do something on the sand.

"Did you bring one?" Kyo asked, and Marley nodded, mentioning she stuffed a bunch of fun stuff in her beach bag and began listing a few other things they could do. Kyo wondered how much time she had spent thinking about this vacation.

.

".. When did Kyo get out there?" Haru asked as he eyed Kyo sitting on the rocks by the ocean. Marley almost looked like a mermaid with the way she had most of her body in the water. Kyo reached down and found a lock of hair that had escaped Marley's braids. She seemed horrified, and he only laughed as he held the lock of hair between his fingers.

Marley lifted herself out of the water and sat on the rocks next to Kyo. She expertly released her left braid and re-braiding her hair to include the lock of hair that Kyo had found. A small blush on her face as she laughed at something.

They talked about something and seemed to be just happy sitting by on the ocean on the rocks, their feet resting in the cool water. Her smile seemed brighter than the sun that shined down on her and illuminated everything around her.

Yuki watched the scene and felt himself drift away into his memories.

_"Don't delude yourself."_

_Yuki was hiding in a small corner of the dark room. A young Akito saying cruel words so sweetly, as if he wasn't the cause of the young Zodiac members' tears and sorrow._ But also the person a part of their souls revered most.

_"Listen. This world is pitch-black. You're going to live along this pitch-black path without potential or hope, so don't think that you'll ever be saved."_

"Are you dizzy? From the glare?" Haru asked, but Yuki stayed quiet, still seeming lost in whatever he was working through.

"Or maybe dizzy from your feelings?" The white- and black-haired boy tried again as he put the back of his hand to Yuki's forehead, and it seemed to somewhat bring Yuki back to earth.

"Yuki-Kuuuun!" Tohru called out as she waved at them as she stood in-between Momiji and Miguel.

"Yuki, Haru, come swim!" Momiji jumped up and down, water splashing around him.

"Yeah... Okay!" Yuki waved back and took off his light shirt.

"I'm fine. I was just caught up in my thoughts. It's a bad habit of mine. But I don't want to make Honda-San worry about me." Yuki explained, and Hatsuharu nodded approvingly.

".. nice attitude."

"Thanks." Yuki gave a small smile as he walked toward the ocean, joining in the innocent fun and looking forward to making new memories in the sunshine.

"You're really not going in, Kyo?" Haru asked as the boy walked back to the beach blanket.

"No way." Kyo was convinced that nothing in this world would make him willingly go into the ocean though he had almost considered it when Marley asked.

Almost.

Hatsuharu got an idea and grabbed Kyo by the forearm and started dragging him towards the ocean.

"Let's have a little competition." Haru's calmly said as he dragged a screaming Kyo.

"Knock it off, Idiot! Lemme go! Are You tryin' to kill me?!" Kyo hissed as he thrashed to get away, but Hatsuharu barely flinched.

"Yukiiii! Wanna join the race? If you're in, Kyo will get fired up.." Haru suggested as he still hung on to Kyo's arm as he tried to get away, dragged into the ocean as he was still fully dressed.

"Fired up, my ass! I ain't that much of a simpleton!" Kyo argued while Haru decided to invite someone else to the competition.

"Miguel, you join too." Haru offered to the large teenager who had been chilling out with Momiji and Tohru.

"I'm down." Miguel put on a broad smile as he stretched a bit, getting himself ready for the fun race. At the mention of Marley's friend joining the competition, Kyo perked an ear.

"Can I join too?" Marley asked, looking forward to a little friendly competition, and Haru nodded.

"Maybe I will join..." Yuki softly said, and as soon as that left his lips, Kyo threw off his zipped hoodie, fiery passion glowing all around him

"NO WAY AM I GONNA LOSE! I'M GONNA WIN! YA HEAR ME!?" He proclaimed, and Marley watched as his body moved through the waves, his muscular chest and arms on display. Years of martial arts had done him good, and Marley felt her cheeks warm as her eyes roamed Kyo's back muscles as he stretched out his arms.

_Can't hurt to just... admire, right?_

"what's up with that?" Miguel nudged Marley, and she went red as she figured she had been caught gawking.

"With what?" Marley's voice when up a bit, but Miguel just nodded to Yuki and Kyo and the intense glares they were sending each other's way.

"Oh, Kyo and Yuki have a bit of a rivalry of some sort." Marley laughed as she watched Kyo getting fired up.

"Don't push yourselves too hard..." Tohru tried to warn as everyone who was in the race started to come together.

"I'll be cheering you on Marley-Onee-Chan." Kisa smiled up at Marley, and she brought her in for a hug, cooing over her as she promised to do her best.

"Will you cheer me on?" Miguel asked as he smiled down at Tohru, his green eyes and long brown hair making him look a model who had just walked off a shoot. Tohru felt her cheeks redden, and heart raced a bit, but Tohru told herself it was all the excitement.

"I-uh.."

"I'm just kidding." Miguel winked before joining everyone.

"Marley! Marley! Marley!" Momiji cheered as everyone went to the starting point while those not participating waited on the sidelines. The white-blonde giggled and threw the blonde boy a peace sign and a wink. She then moved her eye line to Kyo, who was hyping himself up for the race and Marley couldn't help but giggle.

"What are you so happy about it?" Kyo raised an eyebrow at the girl who seemed to be having the time of her life, wondering about what was going through her head.

"You came into the water." Marley pointed out, and Kyo rolled his eyes and told her to prepare to lose, a small smirk on his lips, and the white blonde nodded, her heart racing over all the excitement.

"Ready-! Set- GO!" Momiji counted down, and the racers were off.

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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Grey eyes watched as Akito was slumped over the table, cradling her head in her hand. This was not how Shigure pictured spending his free time. He spotted Akito's toes peeking out from her long kimono and raised an eyebrow at the red-coloured toes.

"Your toes look very cute." Shigure smiled, loving the feminine touch, but at the very mention, Akito hid her toes, and the man tried not to be too disappointed.

"Marley painted them..." Akito pouted as she hid her face in her arms.

"That was sweet of her." Shigure was certainly amused by the nails but couldn't help the feeling of jealousy that washed over him as her names slipped from Akito's lips. The Zodiac member supposed it was time to bring up the fact that he would be off to the summer house.

It would be nice to see the resort again after so many years. He wondered how it had changed and what had stayed the same.

"I'll be joining them myself pretty soon so you won't see me around here for a while. Try to stay healthy while I'm gone." He mentioned, and Akito glared at him.

"Too late. I'm already sick. What nonsense... I hate Summer. I can't stand this incessant vile heat. I don't feel well.. I've got a headache." Akito groaned

"Hatori... Get Hatori." She ordered, but Shigure was reluctant to do so.

"Hatori is so busy these days. I feel bad calling on him all the time." The Dog looked out the window and noticed said doctor walking along beside a woman.

"That's no concern of mine. He lives for my sake, so he should do everything he can for me." The young head of the Sohma house spat. She blamed how she felt on all this talk about the beach house and didn't understand why everyone was so excited about something so simple.

"Summer resort... Hah! Idiots and Ugly people making merry is all it is. What an annoyance." She scoffed.

"They seem like they're having a lot of fun. Marley's friend Miguel sent some videos." Shigure tossed his phone, and Akito caught it with one hand with ease.

She glared at him, but he only smiled, gesturing for her to press play. Akito did, and music and laughter came from the phone. Marley was dancing with Akito's zodiac members. Hatsuharu and grabbed Yuki and pushed him towards Marley, who held his hands and swung him around, and soon Kyo stepped in.

All of them were looking at Marley and Tohru with such kindness and warmth in their eyes. Akito felt an ugly feeling wrap around her. Her skin felt cold.

Akito only glared more before throwing the phone across the room, breaking the screen.

"Marley's a fool for getting them together like that. Why does she waste her time and energy on those..." Akito gritted her teeth, but then she remembered who she was and got an idea.

"they're getting cocky... They misunderstand the situation. Perhaps... I'd better teach them a lesson." Akito had a dark smile on her face, and Shigure wondered what it would take for Akito to properly learn her lesson as a small smirk slipped onto his face.

_It shouldn't be too long now_.

"What? Is there a problem?" Akito rose from her spot and stared at Shigure, and he only smiled more and discretely closed the window behind him for some privacy.

"Are you scheming against me?" Akito asked as she approached him and crawled into his lap while staring him down.

"Scheming? I would never harbour such thoughts." The grey-eyed man insisted as he interlocked fingers with Akito.

"In fact... why don't you go to the vacation home too, Akito-San? If you want to teach them a lesson, that is..." Shigure offered, fueling the flame.

Akito knew that the Dog must be up to something, but she felt that it was time to remind those who had forgotten their place in this world. Akito's world, to be more exact.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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"The sun must've been too much for you, your burning up. But at least you don't seem to have a sunburn." Marley placed a cold rag on Yuki's forehead as a few others all crowded around, worried for Yuki's health, and it only stressed him out more. He found it to be embarrassing.

"Maybe you ought to take a parasol tomorrow." Haru suggested, and it was hard to tell if he was joking or being serious. Though Marley had to admit that maybe a beach umbrella wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Over my dead body..." Yuki groaned, cursing his somewhat weak body that put him in this position.

"Y-Y-Yuki-Kun." Tohru started panicking again, and Marley tried to comfort her.

"I think he's joking, Tohru."

"H-h-hang in there! I can't believe that I was just having fun in the water while you were suffering..." Tohru fretted as guilt began to consume her.

"It's only a slight fever, nothing to worry about, calm down." Yuki sighed, but he couldn't deny that he was touched that Tohru worried so much over him.

"But you were amazing, Yuki! You almost came in 1st place, and Miguel looked like a beast in the water." Just as Momiji said that a loud snore broke through the conversation and everyone looked to the other couch where the 'beast' in question was sleeping, a little drool coming out the side of his mouth.

The girls giggled a bit, slightly amazed at how quickly he had passed out when they got back and how is large body barely fit on the couch as his legs hung off the end.

The race had been fun, Miguel had come in first with Yuki in 2nd with Kyo close behind him, and then Marley was 4th while Hatsuharu was last.

"But Kyo was so shocked he came in third that he went to bed in a huff..." Haru mentioned. Kyo's exact words had been, 'Shut up! I'm goin' to bed! Nobody wake me up!' as he stormed away from the beach only moments after the race.

"He might have just been worn out from overexertion, and he really doesn't like the water." Marley felt bad that Kyo had barricaded himself away and hoped that he would come and enjoy the rest of the day soon.

"Yuki, you mind if I take a bath?" Haru asked as he stood at the end of the couch that Yuki was resting on.

"You don't need my permission." The grey-haired boy sighed, wondering why Haru felt the need to ask something like that.

"I thought you might be lonely..." Haru simply said, and Marley giggled a bit at the nonchalant look on his face as he uttered the words.

"GO TAKE YOUR DAMN BATH!" Yuki had enough energy to yell and throw a nearby pillow at Haru. Marley giggled a bit, glad that Yuki had enough energy to goof around.

"Leave it to us! We'll stay by his side!" Momiji cheered.

"Right! L-leave it to us!" Tohru had a determined look on her face, and Haru nodded his thanks before he went off to take a bath.

"I'll make some tea." Marley offered as she felt the need to do something as Yuki seemed to have enough people looking over him.

"Do you need help?" Tohru asked, and Marley shook her head but thanked her for asking.

"I'll grab another cool towel for Yuki's forehead and some more water to drink. We should keep him hydrated." Marley walked away into the kitchen, and they could hear the sound of the tap along with the sound of cupboards opening and closing.

Momiji hurried off, wanting to grab a book about the beetles they planned on catching, and Tohru stayed seated by Yuki's side.

Yuki watched and looked at Tohru's hair and decided to try something he had seen a fellow Zodiac member due to a girl with white-blonde hair. It was a simple and intimate gesture, and he decided to try and see something.

_Who are you to me?_

Tohru felt a small tug and looked back into to see Yuki watching her with a soft look in his calm eyes.

"There's something I want to say... When the time comes... I think I should tell you." Yuki's voice was so quiet and gentle that Tohru worried that she would miss a word if she even breathed.

Yuki mentioned a few things, but it all seemed very mysterious to Tohru.

"So, when it's the right time. If you'll listen... I'd be very happy. I have to open the lid.." and with that, Tohru's brown locks slipped through Yuki's fingers, and he fell asleep. The words stuck to Tohru as she wondered what he meant.

_Open... the lid?_

"Oh, he fell asleep? Must have been exhausted. I'll just leave this here." Marley placed the glass of water on the table within reach of Yuki for when he woke up. Amethyst eyes then looked to the brunette and watched as the girl's eyes seemed clouded.

"Tohru?" Marley called out as she kneeled down to the ground and gently squeezed Tohru's shoulder.

"Hmm?" Tohru started back at Marley but still seemed like she wasn't entirely present.

"You okay?"

"Ah, Yes! I'm fine! Perhaps I got a little too much sun as well." She insisted, but Marley looked less than convinced. Marley put the back of her hand to Tohru's forehead, but there was no fever.

"Maybe some tea will help, be ready in a bit. Are you sure you don't want to lay down for a bit before we go explore the forest?" Marley tried, hoping that Tohru didn't get sunstroke or anything.

"I wouldn't want to leave Yuki when he's not feeling well." Marley understood and left when she heard the kettle's whistling, trying to make herself useful while wondering what was plaguing Tohru.

_._

_.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-_

_._

"This waaaay!" Momiji cheered as he led the way through the forest path, swinging Marley's hand back and forth.

"What the heck are we doin' in the forest?" Hiro complained, exhausted and wish he had just stayed behind. But Kisa was going into the forest, and he didn't want to miss out. So here he was, out in the woods with Tohru, Marley, Momiji, Kisa and Miguel.

Hatsuharu had stayed behind with Yuki, who was still feeling a little dizzy and Kyo was still shut in his room, so they were all missing out on the small adventure.

"We're preparing to catch stag beetles." Momiji explained, a big smile taking over his face as his large brown eyes beamed with excitement.

"And that's fun?" Hiro asked skeptically as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Marley, Momiji and Tohru said before giggling. The three together were almost a bit too much rainbows and sunshine for Hiro. Marley he could take, Marley WITH Tohru AND Momiji. It was a lot.

"Why don't we just buy some..." Hiro scoffed, but Miguel ruffled the boy's hair, telling him to lighten up a bit.

"There! A Sawtooth oak!" Momiji spotted a tree, and the group gathered around it.

"I don't see any stag beetles..." Miguel said as he looked at the trees and all he saw was brown bark, not a single bug in sight.

"If we apply a certain something to this tree, they'll come to lap it up! And that something is... sugar water!" Marley brought out the small container filled with sugar water and some brushes to help apply the bait.

"It's too bad Kyo didn't join. He was the one to tell us about the sugar water." Marley looked back in the direction of the house, half hoping the orange-haired boy would just appear. Momiji tilted his head as he watched Marley's eyes and then squeezed her hand, bringing back her attention to him.

"Maybe tomorrow, Kyo will join us! He just needs to rest!" Momiji encouraged, and Marley smiled back at him and nodded, humming in agreement.

"We'll have to get up bright and early tomorrow." Marley told them as she handed a brush to Kisa and Hiro so they could brush the sugar water on the tree.

"Yep, as early as we can!" Momiji nodded.

"Marley-Onee-Chan, will you wake me when you get up." Kisa asked as she knew that Marley was used to getting up early, and she smiled and promised that no one would be left sleeping past 6.

"Oh, wait! I have to go find my own sawtooth oak! C'mon Marley-Chan!" Momiji grabbed Marley's hand, and they were off while Tohru fretted and told them to be careful, but Marley promised they would be before they disappeared down a forest path.

.

Miguel watched as a small green pocketbook fell out of Tohru's pocket and quickly reached down to pick it up. It was open, and a photo slipped out. A woman with bright orange hair was smiling at the camera. The boy had an idea of who it was in the picture.

"Tohru." Miguel called out, and the girl looked up to meet his gaze.

"Huh? Ah, yes?" She asked, stopping what she was doing.

"You dropped this." Miguel held up the small pocketbook and held out to her. The girl started to get slightly frantic as she looked at the item.

"AAAAAAH! Mom! What are you doing there!? Did you teleport?" She asked as she reached out with both hands and carefully grabbed it with care.

"It slipped out of your pocket." Miguel watched at the worry and panic in Tohru's eyes, and he was glad he had noticed the pocketbook. He didn't want to imagine how the girl would feel if she lost the photo.

"Th-thank you so much! Thank goodness you found her! I almost abandoned her!" Tohru repeatedly bowed, and Miguel had to finally hold her by her shoulders to make her stop, insisting it was fine.

"I'm glad I found her before one of those beetles kidnapped her." He joked, and Tohru giggled a bit, feeling herself calm down a bit, the crisis averted.

"Why do you only carry around a picture of your mom?" Hiro asked as he noticed it was the very same pocketbook he had taken a few months ago.

"You lost both your parents, right? But you don't have a photo of your dad. I mean... with you its always like 'my mom' this and 'my mom' that. You've got attachment issues with your mom, and that's probably an understatement." Hiro shrugged as he ranted. Any sense of thinking before he spoke out the window.

"Even Marley-Nee has other stuff in her life, and yet she keeps both her parents with her. Don't you have anything in your life?" Hiro put his hands on his waist and shook his head in disbelief as the others watched him go on.

Miguel had trouble with how quickly the kid was speaking, but he could pick up a few words, but what gave away the cruelty of Hiro's words was Tohru's face, and Miguel grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt.

"Kid, chill." Miguel scolded, and Hiro told him to cut it out, but it was Tohru who made everyone stop, and she put on a smile, but something was clearly off to those who were genuinely watching.

"I'm worried about Momiji-Kun and Marley-Chan! So I'm gonna go look for then!" Tohru smiled at the three and hurried off down a random path. Miguel looked at the two kids and told them to stay there, following Tohru into the forest.

"Hiro-Chan... You shouldn't talk to her like that." Kisa said softly as she stared down at the forest path that everyone had disappeared down.

"like what? I don't think it's a big deal.. And she didn't seem bothered." Hiro saw Tohru just put on a smile as she walked away, so he assumed that she must be fine.

"How would you know... if she was bothered or not?" Kisa asked, not understanding why Hiro was being like this, and it hurt her. Hiro was so good to her and was close with Marley, yet he would say such mean things to Tohru. It was hurting Kisa to just watch and had to say something. Anything to make it stop.

"You don't know what she's feeling inside... you don't know her emotions... So don't say 'its no big deal... Don't make assumptions like that." Kisa used the bravest voice she could to defend Tohru, and Hiro was surprised as he never heard Kisa be so forward, and panic started to set in.

He couldn't understand where he went wrong to make Kisa talk to him like that, and he hated it. He wanted to be someone Kisa could depend on yet...

"Wh-why should I... I don't care about her feelings! Why do I have to tiptoe around her!" He argued, frustrated with how this adventure in the forest had turned out.

"Hiro-Chan... why did you come here? Was it to cause problems for Tohru-Onee-Chan?" Kisa cried before turning and running off, leaving Hiro to slump in the forest, wondering how he let this happen.

Kisa stumbled across Marley and Momiji, who had just been brushing some sugar water onto a tree. Marley had just been asking Momiji what he thought they would be having for dinner when she felt small hands wrap around her waist.

"Kisa? What's wrong? Everything okay?" Marley asked as she looked down at the girl and rubbed her back. She stayed silent and shook her head, her hands clinging onto the soft white fabric of Marley's long skirt.

"Come on, help me, and Momiji find one last tree before we head back for dinner." Marley coaxed, and Kisa held tightly onto her hand as they walked through the trees.

.

..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Everything felt foggy and numb as the girl held the pocketbook over her delicate heart, praying to keep it together. She didn't want anyone to see. She needed to lock it up.

_Tight_

Tohru had meant to look for Momiji and Marley but instead had gone down a different path. She was led to an open area with a bench that looked over the beach and its ocean.

The girl looked at the sky, the oranges bleeding into the dark of the night, and the stars were beginning to pop out. Her heart was pounding, and there was a sharp pain as she gripped the dark green pocketbook. Her knees gave way as she sat on the bench, her eyes still staring across the ocean.

_Why? Why?_

Images of her Mother flashed before Tohru's eyes and the life they had shared. All of it seemed too far away like it was slipping through her fingers.

_That is..._

_Tohru stood in the now empty apartment, the few belongings she owned boxed up and ready to be moved to the new place she would be staying._

_As this could no longer be her home._

_I have to open..._

"Okay... It's okay. We'll be together... Always." Tohru promised as she held the photo to her chest like it was a life preserver. Keeping her afloat in a vast empty ocean.

"I found ya." A deep voice brought her back to earth, and she looked over to see Miguel's face, a soft look in his eyes as he stared down at her.

"Oh, I- I hope I didn't cause you any trouble. I just got a little. Lost." Tohru tried to come up with an excuse, but Miguel just shook his head and sat down before gesturing to the pocketbook in Tohru's hands.

"Your Mother...Do you always take her with you?" Miguel asked, talking gently. He had seen that same look before and had reacted the wrong way once. He could learn from his mistakes and handle it better.

"Yes...So it's kind of like... I'm always with her." Tohru admitted, hoping she didn't sound silly and hoped her English made sense. Miguel nodded and pulled down his shirt a bit, flustering Tohru, but Miguel only laughed and pointed her towards a tattoo with a name in cursive writing.

"That's my Abuelo's name. So I always keep him near." Miguel explained as he laid a hand over the tattoo.

"You're... Abuelo?" Tohru didn't know the word and tried to think of who 'Abuelo' could be.

"Oh... Jii-San." Miguel hoped that he used the right word and Tohru nodded, picturing an old man like her own grandfather.

"He owned a garage, and he was always teaching me stuff... My parents worked a lot, so they normally dropped me off with him. He showed me how to fix cars, properly throw a punch, taught me how to shotgun a beer." He laughed as he admitted the last one; Miguel couldn't remember the last time he talked about the old man. Tohru didn't really understand what he was talking about but was drawn in by the warmth of his voice as he spoke of old memories.

"... he passed away a few years ago, and I got really lost.. There was a bunch of shit happening at my house, and I didn't have anywhere to go.." Miguel decided to not talk about the trouble he caused for his parents as he stared out at the ocean. All because he had been too caught up in his rage to see the damage it had caused to those around him.

The sunset's glow made him look like he was from something that could be painted on canvas. The intense look in his deep eyes made Tohru want to know what was he was thinking. Her eyes also began to run over the rest of his tattoos, wondering what more was behind them.

What more could she learn about Miguel.

"It's pretty normal, I bet. To sometimes surround yourself in stuff that keeps them with you. I think of my Abuelo when I work on cars and even... ask him questions as if he's beside me." He admitted. He had also noticed that Marley wore her parent's clothes; she even used her dad's band shirts as pj's. Tohru wasn't alone when it came to holding onto the past.

Miguel hoped what he was saying helped; he imagined losing a parent was different than a grand-parent. Watching Tohru and Marley be so strong even though he knew that they missed their parents made him want to call up his folks.

He also wished he knew more Japanese so that he and Tohru could speak properly but hoped his words still reached her.

Tohru seemed pretty quiet, but Miguel didn't push her to talk. He just sat there on the bench, offering only the comfort of his company, but to Tohru, it was all she needed in this moment.

She didn't want to talk. She didn't know what to say, and she felt so delicate that she was afraid that if she opened her mouth, the wrong things would spill forth. Miguel didn't hurry her, just waited patiently as she stared out at the ocean with him.

The two just waited, the sun's glow slowly disappearing to give way to a dark stary sky. The moon's light made Tohru realize how late it had become.

"We should head back!" Tohru jumped up from the bench.

"Only when you're ready." Miguel looked up at her from his spot on the old wooden bench.

_But what if I'm never ready?_

"But the others-"

"I texted Marley. Just to let her know that we hadn't... run away together of something." He joked, and Tohru took a few moments before realizing what he was insulating and became flustered.

Miguel laughed and was almost tempted to tease some more, enjoying the blush and light in her eyes that seemed a little brighter than it had been a few moments earlier.

But Miguel's stomach interrupted everything, and it was his turn to be flustered, and Tohru tried not to giggle, but they came out so naturally.

"C'mon. We should go back for dinner." Tohru led the way back, and Miguel shucked before following, hoping that he had helped her feel better just the slightest bit.

Tohru smiled at Miguel, and though it didn't quite reach her eyes, Miguel figured she was trying her best and walked with her back. Miguel thought that even though the smile wasn't exactly her true feelings, it did show her strength, and it was something to be admired.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

The summer home was quiet as most of the kids had dispersed after their dinners. Kyo hadn't even come down, still sleeping off the exhaustion after the beach. Haru, Miguel and Yuki were hanging out in the living room with the TV on the low.

"Did Kisa and Hiro get into a fight? They were quiet during dinner." Yuki asked as he thought back on the two youngest members.

"it's a waste of time for a third wheel to get involved in a lovers' quarrel. It's best to leave them be." He shrugged as he flipped through channels on the large TV.

"I hope everything is alright, though," Yuki mentioned that Miguel asked Haru to stop on a channel showing a car show of some sort. Sounds of footsteps padding down the stairs, diverting everyone's attention, and Marley threw them a smile as she spotted them and walked past.

"Are you going out for a run this late?" Yuki asked as he eyed Marley's get up of yoga pants and cropped tight t-shirt.

"Just some stretching before bed. Thought it would be nice to enjoy the stars too." Marley raised the yoga mat she had under her arms and disappeared to the back porch, gently closing the door behind her. The girl laid out the mat and took a deep breath in and out before leaning forward and touching her toes, easing into the stretch.

"... Marley-Nee." Marley heard Hiro call for her, and she simply asked if he was coming to join her for yoga.

His silence made Marley peek over her shoulder at him. Hiro had his head bowed, his arms, and it was clear by his eyes that something was on his mind. Marley got out of the complicated move and then sat cross-legged, eying Hiro, waiting for him to talk.

Hiro let out a puff of air and sat down across from her.

"...I.. I said something... To that girl." It looked like it was taking everything Hiro had to get out those words.

"I'm going to guess you're talking about Tohru." Marley sighed, but Hiro just glared at the wood on the porch.

"What happened?" The white-blonde asked, and she listened as Hiro spilled the story. From Tohru dropping the pocketbook and panicking as Miguel gave it back to Hiro's observation about Tohru. He decided not to mention that he compared Tohru to Marley as he was embarrassed enough.

"Hiro... why would you say something like that?" Marley knew that Hiro could be a brat, but even this seemed more out of line than usual. The look of disappointment in her large eyes made Hiro feel a million times worse, but he kept digging himself a hole.

"It's not like I'm wrong. She clearly has attachment issues." He argued, and Marley knew that he might be right. Tohru spoke to her Mother's photo as if she were really here, but the girl knew that Tohru was coping, and Marley did it too sometimes.

"Hiro... Tohru lost her Mother, who was clearly very dear to her. She's probably … just trying to hold onto whatever she can. You shouldn't judge someone on how they try to get by, you don't know how she's feeling." Marley's tone was soft, but her large eyes were still intimidating. The boy could tell she was disappointed in him.

"She seemed fine to me, she was smiling and everything..." Hiro explained, but Marley could almost see the gears in his head working as he seemed to go deep in thought.

"But perhaps... I don't know as much as I thought.." The young boy admitted, his shoulder slumping forward a bit as he admitted defeat, and Marley let out a soft sigh as she reached out and ran a hand through his soft brown locks.

"No one does. Sometimes people smile to hide how they really feel or protect others." Marley explained, knowing that she herself was guilty of it.

The young Zodiac member took in Marley's words, thinking hard about not just his and Tohru's interactions but his past with Marley as well.

Hiro remembered back when he thought Marley was going back to the states. How she tried to argue that she would be fine. Hiro had been angry because it felt like she was able to walk away like the Sohma's meant nothing.

Only to find her breaking down in tears later, crying about how she wished to stay with them. Marley had tried to put on a brave face when s... thought too...ould have to leave the Sohma Estate when really, all she wanted to do was stay with them.

"You have hidden feelings too... Right?" Hiro asked, surprising Marley as she looked over at his large eyes that were watching hers. Her mind wandered from that lonely hospital room where she was helpless to the boy with the orange eyes that made her feel... seen.

_Hidden feelings...sometimes too many to count_.

"I do... some of them... But its because I have all of you. Those feelings... are made a little better." Marley didn't want to burden Hiro with anything more, he was just a kid. He was very intelligent but was still a kid, and Marley wanted to protect him in any small way she could.

The longing she felt when her Mother left time and time again when she was a child to go work overseas. The fear when Yuuto Sohma arrived at the village she and her great grandmother lived and how happy he made her Mama. The guilt she carried because she knew that her Mama missed out on so many things in life because of Marley.

And now Marley would never be able to make it up to her because they were gone.

Marley thought back to when she was staring out that lonely hospital window, her heart aching, and everything breath felt like a knife to the lungs.

She thought of the Sohma family that had brought her back from the brink. Her Dadaji who made her laugh with his strange ways. Hatori, who patiently let her show him random Youtube videos and endured what she found funny. Isuzu, who had snapped her out of her dark thoughts when Marley felt too weak to fight. Momiji had given her laughter and a younger brother to goof off with. Kisa had helped her find her love for dance again. Hiro had made sure that she stayed in the Sohma family and Kyo-.

Marley shook her head and stopped herself before she got too carried away. Life wasn't perfect. Marley still carried some pain, but she knew she should be grateful and thankful in her heart as she received a lot more than she felt she deserved.

The adopted Sohma would do what she could to try and pay a little back. No matter what.

"So let's try and move forward a do our best to better ourselves. For those that mean most to us." Marley smiled down at Hiro, h" r eyes were a little teary, but she quickly masked it as Hiro had enough on his plate. Not only was he a young, awkward boy in love, but he also shouldered the weight of a mysterious curse.

".. I'll try."

"I know you can. You have lots of kindness in you, Hiro. You just have a bit of sharp tongue." Marley gently took Hiro's face in her hands, making sure that he looked her in the eye.

"You're still growing up and... "You're these kinds of mistakes, it's part of it. But I know your smart enough to learn from them and become the kind of man who won't go around saying... whatever you feel like." Marley encouraged as she honestly did believe in him, resting her forehead against his.

Hiro just needed to stop thinking that Tohru was taking Kisa away from him and learn to get along with the sweet, optimistic girl.

"I'll... do better," Hiro promised as he didn't want to keep disappointing Marley and Kisa. And he wanted to be the kind of man that could make Kisa happy. Marley released his small face from her grasp, smiling gently down at him.

"You know who Tohru kind of reminds me of?" It had crossed Marley's mind before, but she hadn't mentioned it, and this seemed like a good a time as any.

"Do I want to know?" Hiro groaned, just knowing that he might regret hearing what Marley had to say.

"Tohru kind of reminds me of your mom." Marley smiled as she let Hiro knew what she thought, and Hiro felt his stomach drop.

"She does not! Take it back!" He argued, refusing to see the similarities.

"Aww, but they're both so sweet! And they're both little clumsy." Marley pointed out and this only frustrated Hiro more as Marley might actually be on to something.

"They are nothing alike!" Hiro fought, and Marley just giggled, but Hiro didn't want to admit that if anything, Marley reminded him of his Mother. A slightly more graceful version, maybe.

"Whatever you say. Now come on, "do some meditation with me." Marley patted the ground, inv" ting him to sit beside her.

"Why?" Hiro huffed, slightly pouting.

"Because I want you to have a cool head before you go makeup with Kisa." Marley winked, and Hiro blushed before sitting himself back down and followed Marley's lead. Both sitting in peace for a while before Marley sent Hiro off to find Kisa.

But before Hiro fully re-entered the house, he looked back at Marley, who just continued on with her meditating and stargazing. Had Hiro not been worried about fixing things with Kisa, he would have noticed the somewhat sorrowful look in Marley's eyes.

.

Marley wasn't worried about the two young Zodiac members. Not in this instant, at least. They cared about each other a lot, and Marley knew how much Hiro loved Kisa. He was just an awkward boy in love. As long as they spoke and sorted out their feelings, then everything would be fine. Marley didn't want the two to avoid each other like the last time when the two had a slight misunderstanding.

But her mind wandered back to 'hidden feelings' and Tohru. The concerned friend hoped that Tohru let it out soon because she could tell that it was weighing on the kindhearted girl. She was always giving so much to everyone around her and did so much, but Marley couldn't help but wonder. How much was Tohru hiding, and was there anything Marley could do to help.

As Marley rested in an upside-down pose, she continued to think of Tohru, and her thoughts wandered to how they were alike and how slightly similar their situations were.

They had lost their family and had to move forward. Tohru made it look so easy and always had a smile on her face. But behind that smile, Marley was certain that something was happening. Because Marley too knew what it was to put on a smile and pretend that everything was okay.

_To not make anyone worry and try and hide... til you feel like you can't do it anymore_.

Letting out a soft sigh, she got up and slipped her locket back on around her neck. Marley bit the inside of her cheek as she continued to stare up at the stars. In her mind, she imagined her parents in Paris, the city where they met and fell in love.

She imagined them enjoying café lattes on a small side street as the sun shined on them, the Eiffel Tower peeking over the buildings behind them.

_Are you up there? Are you happy? Are you together?_

Marley looked up at the night sky; the stars certainly looked lovely. Much brighter than they were back home. Marley thought of her parents and imagined that they would love to be here as well. Enjoying the sunshine and the cool water.

_What would they be up to is they came along to the beach house?_

_Marley could picture her father swimming and even partaking in the races while her Mother lounged on the beach._

_Would her father know how to look for Japanese beetles? Mama would never go looking for beetles, though._

_Would they have better words of advice for Hiro?_

_She could picture her parents forcing Kyo out of his room for dinner, scolding him for not taking care of himself..._

_And then... they would be looking up at the stars together, talking of mindless things._

"... I miss you," Marley whispered to the dark night as tears pricked in her eyes, knowing it was only her, the stars and the crickets.

The girl found herself unable to look up at the twinkling night sky as it started to make her feel lonelier, and she covered her eyes with her hands, trying to calm herself down as she took deep breathes. Marley didn't want to walk past those in the living room with tears or hiccups. Unknowing of a pair of watchful orange eyes form the roof.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

Kyo softly padded across the wooden floor, peaking into the kitchen. Marley stood in front of the kitchen counter, the early morning light bouncing off her long hair that seemed to flow on forever in waves of platinum. Her body slightly swaying to the soft music playing from the stereo.

_That love, that love_

_Bring me a higher love, love_

_That love, that love_

_Bring me a higher love, oh_

_That love, that love_

_Bring me a higher love, love_

_That love, that love_

_Bring me a higher love_

_Worlds are turnin', and we're just hanging on_

_Facing our fear, and standin' out there alone_

_A yearning, yeah, and it's real to me_

_There must be someone who's feeling for me_

_Things look so bad everywhere_

_In this whole world, what is fair?_

_We walk the line and try to see_

_Fallin' behind in what could be, oh_

"Mornin'." Kyo called out, and she seemed to jump slightly before looking over her shoulder.

"Kyo! Good morning. All rested up after yesterday?" Marley asked as she smiled at him while taking a quick pause from her cutting board task.

"Just making a light breakfast, "want a strawberry?" Marley offered as she slipped" a berry into her own mouth.

"I'm going for a run. I'll eat later." He shrugged, and Marley's smile disappeared.

"You not gonna join us for the beetle thing?" Marley asked, trying not to look too disappointed.

"Nah." Kyo immediately answered without really thinking.

"Aw, but Momiji was saying that you were like the stag-beetle sensei." Marley tried as Momiji had been getting most of his stag beetle tips from Kyo. So it only seemed natural that Kyo had become 'stag beetle sensei.'

"What?! ….Why did he have t' make it weird." Kyo groaned as a small red flush appeared on his cheeks, and Marley giggled, but Kyo was then reminded of what he wanted to ask.

"Hey... Are you alright?" Kyo asked, and Marley looked at him with slight confusion, wondering what he was referring too.

"I was on the roof and-... Look... I wasn't spying or anything, but when I was getting down, I saw you on the porch, and you seemed...sad." Kyo wished he was better with words, but he wanted to know what was wrong.

"Did I? NO I was... I was just enjoying the stars. they are stunning out here." Marley smiled as she kept her eyes on her work.

The stars had been beautiful last night. Kyo had watched them for a bit as well as he liked star gazing too. But he remembered the previous time that he and Marley had spoken of the stars. It was the golden week trip to the lake house, and he had found Marley on the docks.

"You used to look at the stars with your parents, right?" Kyo asked.

"You remember that?" Marley had honestly thought that Kyo would forget the silly tidbit about her life. A warm bubble feeling started in her chest. A part of her wished that Kyo didn't remember things like that. Knowing he did made Marley feel all those feelings that she was trying to push away.

"Yeah... I was thinking... It would have been really nice for them to be here." Marley didn't realize how quiet her voice had gotten as she cut up some strawberries and added them to the bowl of fruit salad she started. Marley heard the sound of footsteps above her and just knew that soon the kitchen would start to fill with the other Sohma's who were able to get up early.

"You sneak out for your run before you get dragged in, it's about to become a little chaotic, I'm sure." Marley's smile was soft, and the light pouring on her from the window made it seem angelic, but it was also slightly sad.

"Right." Kyo took a few steps towards the door but looked back at Marley in the kitchen as she slowly went back to making a light breakfast.

He couldn't leave.

"I'll take a bowl of that." Kyo sighed as he sat himself down at the kitchen counter.

"What about your run?" Marley questioned as she slightly tilted her head at Kyo, curious why he had changed his mind.

"I'll go later. Gotta make sure that Rabbit didn't mess up the sugar water for the beetles..." Kyo made up the excuse.

"It's not like I want to go or anything, okay? Don't read too much into it!" Kyo sisted, and Marley owlishly blinked before a smile stretched over lips. Marley was just elated that Kyo was going to join. It wasn't much. It was honestly so insignificant in Kyo's mind. But it made Marley genuinely smile, and Kyo couldn't help but feel content.

"Well, what would we do without the expert." Marley giggled and Kyo felt his cheeks warm.

Miguel came walked into the kitchen and wished Marley a good morning, giving her a tight hug that lifted her off the ground before placing her back down.

The Zodiac member could only watch as it wasn't like Marley seemed to be uncomfortable, but Kyo wanted to make it stop. He felt that way every time the overseas guest laid a single finger on Marley. He did it so easily and could do so as he pleased.

_It wasn't fair._

Kyo glared as he felt stomach get uncomfortable and tight. The tall teenager felt Kyo's glare, and he turned around to Kyo and raised a brow at Kyo before smirking.

Miguel knew why Kyo was glaring at him.

But he said nothing and grabbing himself an apple as he left the kitchen, plopping himself on the couch and going through his phone. Kyo felt a weird feeling of relief when Miguel's arm had left Marley's brown skin.

.

A few moments later, Hiro, Kisa, Tohru and Momiji entered the kitchen. The young ones were still a bit sleepy, but Tohru and Momiji seemed raring to go, and they all enjoyed a light breakfast. Marley kept an eye on Kisa and Hiro, relieved that it looked like the two were talking and that everything had been smoothed over for the most part.

Momiji wasted little time inhaling his breakfast and making sure everyone got a move on. It was easy to assume that he was most excited about seeing the beetles.

"Look! Look! It worked!" Marley was astounded as she saw the large beetles crawling on the spaces where just the night before they had brushed on sugar water.

"Kyo! Look!" Momiji had placed a beetle in Marley's palm, and she was in awe before apologizing to the beetle for perhaps ruining their morning.

"I hope you had a good breakfast, mister beetle, are these your friends? Oh! Or maybe you guys all family!" Marley talked to the beetle, and Momiji and Kisa giggled while Kyo just watched in slight amazement.

This was something so childish, but it certainly made Marley's eye sparkle with joy.

"What kind of beetle is this?" Marley asked as she held up the beetle in her palm; Kyo was slightly shocked it hadn't flown off.

"It's a rhinoceros beetle." Kyo explained and tried to hi" e the small inkling of pride at teaching Marley about the beetles that had shown up on the saw oak tree. But Momiji noticed how Kyo stood a little taller and even puffed out his chest just the tiniest bit and hid a knowing smile.

While Kyo, Momiji and Marley talked about the different types of beetles. Tohru, Miguel, Hiro and Kisa checked on the other trees.

Miguel felt torn as he wanted to stand by the girl who he loved and was the reason he was here in the first place. But Marley seemed so content as she asked Kyo question after question, and what really got Miguel was the soft look in the Kyo's eyes as he answered anything she asked.

The two standing together reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite place what.

Miguel felt lucky that none of the Sohma boys being very touchy or affectionate as that would be have been a little harder to watch. Although... It was surprising as Marley herself was so affectionate, and he was surprised that the living girl didn't shower her new family with hugs.

_Perhaps it's a cultural thing?_

A part of Miguel was also trying to see how long it would take for the orange-haired boy to flip out on Miguel for being touchy with Marley. He could always feel Kyo's stare whenever he came within a 10 feet radius of Marley, and Miguel kind of enjoyed poking fun.

_Was it right? No_

_Was it fun? Hell Yeah_

"Oh, wow! How cute." Tohru's cheerful voice brought Miguel's attention back, and he looked down at her, wondering what she was commenting on, only to be slightly surprised that she was eyeing his right shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"This purple butterfly! "It's" so "pretty!" Miguel looked It's at his rig" t arm where a hidden light lilac butterfly tattoo. It stood out a bit as most of his tattoos were black ink with only a few red patches here and there. But this one small butterfly rested upon a black inked chrysanthemum.

"Yeah..." The butterfly was meant to represent Marley. Chandra had used to call Marley 'Titli' as a nickname, which Miguel learned meant 'butterfly' in Punjabi. Miguel found the imagery fitting for the girl who seemed to dance in the air.

Miguel had also been a bit out of his mind drunk when he got it, but he wasn't about to admit that, and Marley didn't even know about the small tattoo.

"I've been thinking about getting it covered up." he shrugged as he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to play off his slight embarrassment. He had been thinking about getting something for the last year, but every time he looked at it...it was weirdly comforting.

It was a bittersweet feeling. Miguel had been hurt when Marley hadn't returned his feelings, but he still saw her as a dear friend and wanted to remain a part of her life.

"What?! Why?! Is it because I said it was cute!? I didn't mean it in a bad way! I bet you don't want someone to think your tattoos are cute. 'Tough' or maybe 'cool' would be a better word." Tohru panicked as she worried" that her words had made Miguel doubt his tattoos, but he only laughed and insisted that it had nothing to do with what she said.

"Nah... just need a little change. Maybe I'll get one of these bad boys put on instead." Miguel joked as he picked up a giant black stag beetle from the tree next to him and hovered it over his shoulder.

"Ah, that would look really pretty too!" Tohru gushed, imagining the tattoo already on Miguel's tan skin and how it would look among all the other artwork.

"Not cool?" He smirked, and Tohru began to fret, her heart racing as she waved her hands around, and Miguel laughed before he offered her the beetle, impressed that she wasn't squeamish over the large insect.

"Ah, Yes! 'Cool' is what I meant "to say." 'Tohru sounded out the word slowly and nodded with determination. The two looked at each other before breaking out into laughter. Miguel was glad to see her smiling but wondered if she was really okay. He hadn't known Tohru for very long and didn't know much about the girl. But he wanted to learn more. What was going on behind those kind brown eyes?

..

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song - Higher Love - Whitney Houston, Kygo.
> 
> Sorry can't think of any notes at the moment other then you might have noticed I changed my name. I decided I wanted to change the name to keep this a little separeate from my Twitch account.
> 
> Been very tired and the document for this chapter kept messing up and it was very frustrating. So happy to be done with this chapter lol
> 
> Thank you so much to those who have supported me with your comments and I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. Thank you for reading and I hope you are all well. Please leave a comment if you can.
> 
> Bye ;3


	13. Oh-Oh, Now You Are Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Songs in this chapter: Firework by Katy Perry and Rasputin by Boney M )

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

.

Kazuma washed an empty pie dish in his sink. While he wasn't sure how to cook, he was able to wash the dishes. Placing the light blue pie dish, he almost wondered if he could make a lemon meringue pie, maybe even get the recipe from Marley.

The Karate Master chuckled as he could already hear Kyo's scolding, telling him to stop right there.

Looking at the window, it was already dark, but the evening was still young, and Kazuma figured he might as well return the pie dish. It was only a short walk to the inner Sohma estate.

Coming to the front door of the large traditional house, he knocked on the wood panel, wondering if he would be heard over the mix of voices coming from beyond the door.

He heard footsteps, and soon the door slid open, and he stared over at dark brown eyes that almost looked black.

"Kazuma-Kun! It's been a while; what brings you here? Come in, come in." Tetsuo ushered him in the house, his face slightly flush. The kind man smiled and slipped oh his sandals in the genkan, bowing to the elder who just brushed it off. Tetsuo Sohma had clearly been drinking.

"I wanted to return the pie dish." Kazuma handed over the heavy dish, and Tetsuo nodded, carrying the container and telling Kazuma to join them for a cup of sake.

Kazuma did not know who 'them' was as he knew Marley and the kids were at the summer house. He turned around the corner and looked into the living room to see a few familiar faces and some not so familiar.

Ayame's long silver hair was unmistakable, and he was sitting to the left of Hatori, who greeted Kazuma with a polite hello.

Two young women were also seated around the table. One had long brown hair that ended loose curls, her skin slightly sun-kissed, and beside her was a blonde woman with shoulder-length straight hair, a light spray of freckles across her cheek and a large fluffy cat relaxing between the two.

"Kazuma, this is Gabriella and her wife Diana, friends of Chandra and Yuuto's back in the states. Gabriella, Diana, this is Kazuma Sohma. He runs a Dojo nearby." Tetsuo introduced them as he stepped back into the living room and quickly sat back down.

"It's nice to meet you." Kazuma bowed, and Ayame held up a cup of sake, cheering for no other reason to just cheer, but the girls joined in.

"What is in the water here? Like every Sohma looks like they walked off a photo shoot or something." Gabi laughed, and Diana nodded in agreement while Ayame enjoyed the praise, and Hatori waved it off.

"Sit down already, making me nervous standing there like that." Tetsuo huffed as he gestured for Hatori to pour him another cup. Kazuma bowed his head in thanks as he knelt down on the floor; when he was seated, Gimli got up and walked up to greet him.

"Well, look at that..." Tetsuo eye's followed the Cat and then let out a sigh.

"Something wrong?" Kazuma asked as lightly ran his fingers through the Cat's fur, lightly scratching underneath the feline's chin.

"We thought maybe the Cat just didn't like men since Gimli won't go near Ayame or Hatori...And we assume that Gimli puts up with Tetsuo because he probably bribes him treats." Gabriella laughed, and Tetsuo rolled his eyes.

"Ah, Marley mentioned that Gimli was somewhat... Picky." Kazuma laughed as the pet the Cat a few times before it decided it had enough and walked over to the Sohma Elder to receive a few butt pats.

"Maybe the Cat's just smart. Right, boy?" Tetsuo smirked and talked to Gimli, who meowed in response and puffed out his chest. The large feline certainly had personality.

"Are we celebrating anything?" Kazuma asked as he looked at the spread of food and drinks on the table.

"We were getting some good gossip about Yuuto-Nii's time in Vegas," Ayame explained, a cheeky smile on his face.

"Just sharing stories." Hatori corrected, but a small smile hid on his lips. It was nice to hear that a friend he had looked up to had fun adventures and many friends.

A life full of love and wonder, just as Yuuto Sohma deserved. If only it could have lasted longer.

"You speak English, Kazuma?" The dark-haired woman asked, and he nodded but mentioned it might be a little rusty; he didn't use it a lot.

"And you run the dojo?" She asked, and Kazuma confirmed and mentioned he teaches a lot of the Sohma kids.

.

"Here, Marley sent me this earlier. Looks like they're having fun." Tetsuo brought out his phone and showed Kazuma a picture. It had Marley, Momiji and Kyo in it. Marley was taking a selfie, and all three were holding stag beetles. Kyo had a small blush and a pout, but Kazuma could tell by his eyes that he was having a good time.

"Kyo did enjoy catching beetles as a kid. He used to name them." Kazuma revealed, and the room filled with awe and laughter. The Karate teacher thought of Kyo, his heart warm over the idea of his son enjoying his summer vacation with someone very special to him. Even if Kyo didn't know it yet, Kazuma was sure he would figure it out soon.

The boy was a bit on the dense side.

"I keep hearing about Kyo, but I have yet to meet him," Gabi whined before getting an idea; she brought out her phone and clicked on the facetime.

"What are you doing?" Diana asked, somewhat embarrassed that Gabi would bring out her phone at a social gathering.

"Calling Miguelito." Gabi simply said, but a cheeky smile was sneaking onto her lips.

"For what?" Diana raised a brow

"Maybe I just want to check up on my little brother?" She tried to look innocent as she waited for her brother to pick up the face time call and was confident that it was too early for the teens to be sleeping yet.

"And?"

Gabi pretended not to hear Diana and was saved by Miguel's face appearing on the phone screen, asking what Gabi wanted.

"Good evening to you too... What's that noise? Are you guys having a party?" Gabi's eyes scanned the background.

"They're playing Justdance. Marley found a Nintendo Wii in the cabinet." Miguel moved the phone, and Kisa and Tohru were trying to copy the moves on the large TV as the rest of the group was cheering them on.

_'Cause baby, you're a firework_

_Come on, show 'em what you're worth_

_Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh"_

_As you shoot across the sky_

_Baby, you're a firework_

_Come on, let your colors burst_

_Make 'em go, "Oh, oh, oh"_

_You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe_

_Boom, boom, boom_

_Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon_

_It's always been inside of you, you, you_

_And now it's time to let it through_

.

Gabi was able to recognize a few faces, but there was one that stood out; a bright orange-haired boy was sitting on the couch while Marley sat on the floor in front of him, gleefully clapping and cheering on the dancing duo.

_Was this Kyo?_

But the boy's eyes weren't on the two dancing; he was smiling down at Marley. The orange hair was certainly hard to miss, and it made Gabriella wonder. Chandra had told her a few stories from the first time she came to the Sohma Estate years ago when she and Yuuto were newlyweds. One of the few fond memories she had was of a young father and his curious orange-haired son.

_"He was such a cutie and was in awe of the henna patterns on my hands. It was too bad he and Marley didn't get to meet. He seemed like a sweet boy, and she deserves a kind friend." Chandra reminisced as she and Gabi finished off a bottle of cabernet._

_"Would you ever go back?"_

_"I doubt it. That place... seems trapped in the past and tradition. Treated me like trash because I wasn't...It doesn't matter." Chandra didn't want to talk about it anymore, but her fellow dancer could tell that she had a lot on her mind regarding her husband's family._

"What are they doing?" Tetsuo asked as he got up and peeked over, he had spoken to Marley on the phone earlier, and she had told him all about the stag beetles they had found that morning. But Gabriella could tell that the doting grandfather had become used to her presence and was missing his granddaughter.

_Don't worry, Chandra... the people have changed, and Marley is well-loved..._

"Dancing to Katy Perry." Gabi told Tetsuo as she recognized the popular song.

"I want to see." Ayame insisted, and soon Ayame was in the shot along with Tetsuo peeking in as well while Kazuma, Hatori and Diana shook their heads at the antics.

"Whose on the phone?" Momiji hopped over, and Miguel showed him.

"Gabi-San! Ayame-Nii and Tetsuo-Ojiii!" Momiji's enthusiastic greeting grabbed the attention of everyone sitting in the living room.

"Everyone, say hi!" Momiji showed the phone to the group, and all the kids called out except for those who just waved.

"Miguel-Kun and Marley-Chan are up next! Are you going to watch?" Momiji asked as he took the phone into his possession, and the adults on the small screen didn't even have to respond as Momiji made sure they had a good view of the shenanigans.

"Alright, Marley, I know what you're going to pick. Go for it." Miguel chuckled as he came up beside the girl wearing a large band shirt that was slightly tucked into grey bike shorts, her lengthy hair pulled into a high ponytail.

"Right!" Marley tightened her ponytail, and the two bumped fists. Gabi felt her heart warm a little as she was reminded of when they were a bit younger and playing the same game back in the Vegas apartment.

The song started, and the two clapped to the beat, goading the others to join.

_Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey_

_Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey_

_Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey_

It was undoubtedly nostalgic for the older sister, and she was already laughing while Ayame and Tetsuo raised their eyebrows slightly.

_There lived a certain man in Russia long ago_

_He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow_

_Most people looked at him with terror and with fear_

_But to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear_

_He could preach the Bible like a preacher_

_Full of ecstasy and fire_

_But he also was the kind of teacher_

_Women would desire_

_Ra ra Rasputin_

_Lover of the Russian queen_

_There was a cat that really was gone_

_Ra ra Rasputin_

_Russia's greatest love machine_

_It was a shame how he carried on_

The sound was a mixture of music and laughter. Miguel actually had to stop cause he was laughing so much, and Hatsuharu stepped in. Marley just continued on, smiling at Haru, who was trying to find the rhythm. It was certainly a funny sight with Marley's smile and Hatsuharu's stoic face as they both did the Russian style moves.

"I want to join!" Momiji laughed and passed the phone to Hiro to hold as he hopped in too, proving to have a bit more rhythm than Haru.

The finished pose and the room erupted into cheers; Gabi watched as Marley and Momiji high-five before the white-blonde went back to her spot in front of the orange-haired boy. He was smiling at her and said some words, which made Marley giggle.

"when is Yuki going to dance? Has he already? Did I miss it? Your dear big brother is sorry for missing it!" Ayame proclaimed, and Yuki covered his face and hoped that the couch would swallow him up.

"What the hell- Is that Ayame's voice?" Kyo groaned, and Marley called out a hello

Hatori finally took away the phone from Ayame and wished the kids goodnight before clicking off.

"Let the kids be; they deserve a little fun." The doctor scolded, and even though Ayame listened, he was still disappointed.

"Awww, but I wanted to see Yuki dance." Ayame pouted.

"They certainly do seem to be having lots of fun." Kazuma smiled, happy for Kyo and the other kids, who just seemed like typical kids having a good time. Goofing off and playing games. Unburdened by an ancient curse.

"You're heading up tomorrow, right, Hari?" Ayame asked.

"Yes. We'll be arriving by the afternoon." Hatori answered. They would be taking a small private plane that was owned by the Sohma's. There was no way that Akito would be able to put up with such a long drive.

"I wish I could join, but the shops been so busy, I can't bring myself away from it yet."

"Plus, you have tickets to come to my show." Gabriella reminded him as she winked.

"Oui! And I hope to get an up-close look at some of those gorgeous costumes." Ayame held up his glass and clinked it with Gabi's. The Snake of the Zodiac had seen a few pictures of burlesque costumes and was immediately drawn in. Ayame was given two tickets and planned to take Mine with him for a date night. He knew that she would enjoy the show as much as him, if not more.

The night continued on with drinks, and some late-night food had been ordered, but the fun ended when a maid of the main house came. She had a bob haircut and was one of the younger maids, and she certainly looked very nervous as she repeatedly bowed to the Sohma elder.

"I am so sorry to interrupt Tetsuo-Sama, but Hatori-San has been called to the main house." The young worker apologized, hoping that she could make it back to the main house with Hatori promptly. The head maid had sent her out on the job and did not wish to receive a scolding if she failed.

"What for?" Tetsuo asked, unhappy about the interruption.

"Akito-"

"Say no more. Better hurry before the brat throws some sort of fit." Tetsuo scoffed before getting up, excusing himself for a moment.

"I'm on my way. Thank you for having me. Have a good night." Hatori was quick with his goodbye, and while Gabi had barely understood the conversation, she understood that the small party had come to an end.

Like all the joy had been sucked out of the room in a single moment.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

It was the third morning of the beach trip, and Marley had finally figured out what she had forgotten to bring along and hoped she could find it somewhere within the labyrinth she had come across.

The young dancer worked her way through the basement, looking all around to find a specific item. It had seemed easy at first, but looking at the boxes and dark corners of the basement, it seemed like a big task.

"What the hell are you doing down here?" Kyo asked as he peeked his head in, wondering what she could up to; he knew that she was excited about the beach and couldn't see why Marley would delay it by doing whatever she was going.

"Oh? Umm... well I just thought it would be nice if we had one of those big umbrellas..." She mentioned as she avoided a dusty cobweb.

"Why?"

"Just to help with some shade, it gets so hot on the beach, and I overestimated Yuki's skin." Marley said as she continued to look around, peeking in a few boxes as she ignored the little butterflies in her stomach.

"Screw that Rat, let him become a lobster for all I care." Kyo scoffed.

"Kyo!" Marley tried to scold, but it came out as a laugh as she pictured Yuki in a lobster costume.

"There has to be something-" Marley's sentence was interpreted by her sharp yelp as she tripped over a box and toppled over another.

"GODDAMMIT! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?" Kyo tried to get over, but the maze of boxes made it impossible.

"I'm fine! Just.. misstepped a little." Marley admitted though her face was a little red over embarrassing herself like that and quickly got back up to dust herself off.

One of the lids of the boxes had come off, and Marley peeked inside,

"Oh, wow! A griddle!"

"A what now?" Kyo asked as he slightly squinted at what she was holding up.

"Griddle, it's perfect for making things like pancakes." Marley pulled it out and inspected it, wondering how old it was and placed it to the side. Kyo's ears slightly perked at the mention of pancakes. He had seen pictures of them but had never had any before.

.

The curious girl peeked in again, noticing the box was not organized as there were old VHS tapes in it and then she came across a sunglasses case. She decided to open it and was met with a classic pair of wayfarer sunglasses.

_These would look really nice on Kyo_

"Do you need sunglasses?" Marley asked as she held up the case to Kyo, and he barely had time to react before she had tossed the case, and he caught in his hands.

"Why would I need these?" Kyo asked as he inspected the simple black sunglasses.

"You should protect your eyes." Marley pointed out, she had a pair of round sunglasses ready to go when they went to the beach today.

"Try them on." Marley insisted, and Kyo just shook his head, but then Marley kept looking at him, waiting.

"Fine! But if they look stupid -..." Kyo mumbled incoherently as he slid on the glasses, awkwardly waiting for Marley to say something. But she just stared, and Kyo felt himself grow more nervous. Meanwhile, Marley was cursing herself as Kyo now looked like a pop star, making the butterflies worse.

"See! I told you they would-" Kyo ripped them, but Marley protested.

"No! They look really good, Kyo! Super handsome!" Marley insisted as she tried to make it over to him before he threw away them or something. Marley then froze when she realized how forward she was being and hoped that Kyo didn't think she was flirting or something.

_How embarrassing..._

"... Whatever. I'm just gonna wear them to protect my eyes..." Kyo crossed his arms as he looked, and Marley let out a small sigh of relief before simply smiling, happy that he seemed to like them.

The curios girl continued to look through the boxes around her, forgetting the main reason she had come down. She pulled out some pails for sand-castle making, and a collection of CDs. Marley picked up the entire box with a proud smile on her face, looking forward to showing the stuff to the others.

"By the way, isn't that a beach umbrella right there?" Kyo pointed to the large red closed umbrella that was resting right by the door.

"You walked right past it." Kyo pointed out, slightly smirking, and Marley's eyes widened, stunned that it had been right there all along. She certainly felt like a bit of an idiot at the moment. But she looked at the other stuff she had found and smiled.

"Ah! But I found a few unexpected treasures!" Marley pointed out, ever the optimist, as her large eyes sparkled, even in the storage room's low light.

"C'mon, let's go already. You're the one who was excited to go to the beach." Kyo teased before grabbing the umbrella and the box from Marley's hands, insisting that he would carry it. Marley looked behind her at the other boxes, curious as to what else she might find.

Kyo let out a sigh and stepped forward, not noticing the fallen ball on the floor and stepped right on to it. It threw his body forward, straight into Marley.

The girl felt Kyo collide with her and instinctually wrapped her arms around him to try and stop from falling, but the moment they embraced, there was a loud popping sound and Marley was surrounded by sparkly orange smoke.

"I am so sorry!" Marley cried as she covered her face, embarrassed as Kyo's orange cat form sat on her thighs. He looked so cute in his cat form, and a huge part of Marley wanted to hug him, but she held herself back.

".. it's not your fault." Kyo sighed, and before anything else could be said, a loud voice interrupted.

"Marley! Come on, let's go already!" Miguel's voice burst through, followed by his body coming to the room, and Kyo quickly scampered away to hide behind some boxes.

"You trip or something? Whose clothes are those?" Miguel asked as he looked down at Marley's form and cargo pants and a black shirt that seemed familiar.

"Um! Yes! I tripped after opening this box ..of .." Marley looked around as she held the pants and shirt in her hands.

Kyo wished Marley was a better liar sometimes because this was hard to listen to.

"Clothes?" Miguel asked as he pointed to the articles of clothing in Marley's hands.

"YES! Better throw these back... Into this box... and then I'll leave this box right here for someone to grab... Later." Marley placed the clothes into the open box and put it near where she had seen Kyo's cat form dart to.

"Why later? Might as well just grab it now." Miguel moved to go get it, but Marley's hands were placed on his chest to keep him back.

"NO!"

"Okay, damn. Everything alright with you?" This was a bizarre encounter, and he was slightly baffled at how Marley was acting.

_Maybe all the seawater was getting to her brain?_

"Yes, yes... just excited about the beach and look! Ky- I found the beach umbrella so success, now let's head out." Marley shoved the umbrella into Miguel's arm and pushed him out of the room. As she closed the door behind her, she whispered a sorry into the room, and Kyo let out a sigh of relief.

_That was a close call..._

"That guy really has shitty timing..." Kyo sighed as he waited to transform back so he could get out of this room. His small cat face peeked into the box that she had placed his clothes in; even in a panic, she had folded them. The slight smell of coconut washed over Kyo; Marley's scent had lightly stuck to his clothes that she had held to her chest.

_I'm turning into the perverted Dog._

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.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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.

Marley moved in the water and moved to catch the bright beach ball that Kisa had thrown her way; she missed it and splashed into the water in front of her. The girls laughed, and Marley picked up the ball and threw it Tohru's way. The game was interrupted by a shocked sound coming from Hiro, who had been lounging on the beach.

"WHAT?! Wait... Is that true? It's not another one of your misunderstandings?" Hiro asked into the phone, shock painted across his face.

Marley looked over at Kisa and Tohru, but they didn't seem to have a clue either.

"Okay...yeah... I got it! Right... Try not to fall!" Hiro scolded before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Hiro-Chan... is something wrong?" Kisa asked as she and the girls approached.

"Yeah. My Mom says she pregnant." Hiro said si casually that it came as a shock once the girls realized what he said.

"What?!" The girls all said in unison, but Marley was the first to come out of shock as she hurried to congratulate him.

"Auntie Satsuki's going to have a baby! Hiro! You're going to be a big brother!" Marley gushed, and she had to hold herself back from hugging Hiro.

"She thought maybe it was a cold, so she went to the doctor. Turns out she's gonna have a baby. Ditzy as always..." Hiro shook his head, wishing his mother wasn't such a scatterbrain. He loved her to bits, but he worries for her.

"Congratulations, Hiro-Chan... I'm so happy for you." Kisa softly smiled.

"I bet the baby will be cute like you, Hiro-San." Tohru complimented, and all the attention was starting to get on Hiro's nerves.

"Would you stop talking my it's my baby?!" Hiro yelled at the girls, who only giggled over his attitude.

"Congrats." A new voice entered the conversation, and the 4 looked over to see Shigure lounging on the stairs while he waved a fan. Marley was impressed to see that even at the beach, he still chose to wear his traditional clothes.

"Satsuki-San...so young." Shigure let out a dreamy sigh.

"AND YOU STOP TALKING LIKE SOME DIRTY-MINDED OLD MAN!" Hiro snapped at the adult who just chuckled, completely unbothered.

"Shigure! You made it! When did you get here?" Marley asked as she approached him.

"Just arrived."

"Shigure-Ojichan... Aren't you going to come swim?" Kisa asked, and the man just shook his head, telling them that he was no good at swimming.

"Ah! Then you're sun-bathing?" Tohru guessed, and Shigure shook his head once more.

"More like... admiring the view?" He suggested as he wiggled his eyebrows, and, in an instant, Hiro grabbed Kisa by the wrist and stormed off.

"I'm kidding... middle school girls are too young for me." Shigure tried to explain.

_As they should be_

Marley rolled her eyes but laughed all the same, as Shigure in her eyes really was just that perverted family member that no one wanted to come to family dinners.

But she saw him as harmless for the most part.

"What are you still doing standing there?!" Hiro yelled as he stormed back over and grabbed Marley by the hand and dragged her away as well, far away from the pervy Dog.

"I never want to grow into an adult like that!" Hiro yelled as he clenched his fist, and Kisa and Marley just giggled, knowing that Hiro would never likely grow up to be like Shigure.

"But I really am happy for you, Hiro-Chan. Was Auntie Satsuki happy?" Kisa asked, her golden eyes watching. Marley giggled over Kisa copying how she had said 'Auntie' rather than the standard Japanese suffix for aunt.

"More than that, geez... she got carried away, wanted me to come home right away to help her celebrate."

"Ahh... I'm worried about her. She's a total klutz. Never mind just falling. I can easily picture her tripping on the top stair and tumbling all the way down... Oh no... She could fall, she could really fall like that..." Hiro began to ramble, his worry becoming evident on his face,

"Already acting like a worried big brother." Marley softly sighed as she smiled down at Hiro, who blushed over the comment.

"I think Hiro-Chan will be a kind big brother... Or maybe meddlesome." Kisa giggled, and Marley couldn't help but agree. Before Hiro could defend himself, a loud voice interrupted.

"Marley-CHAAAAN! I brought you a popsicle!" Momiji yelled as he stood with the rest of the boys who had walked to the grocery store down the road to grab watermelons. All the boys we carrying one except for Miguel, who had two in his hands and Momiji with no watermelon but a popsicle, a small white bag in the other.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

The group walked up through the forest path, the shade of the trees protecting them from the hot sun. The Zodiac members walked upfront while Marley and Miguel brought up the back; the white-blonde shared something from her phone with Miguel, random memes that the two laughed over.

"Say what?! Hiro's Mama is gonna have a baby-?!" Momiji marvelled as he walked beside Tohru, excited over the news, while Hiro groaned, wishing that he had kept his mouth shut.

"He's going to be a big brother. I can't picture it." Yuki was trying to, but he just couldn't, but Hatsuharu pointed something out to the grey-haired teen.

"It'll be fine... I still have a hard time picturing Aya-Nii as a big brother... there's always a worse example..."

"You're right, you're right, but mind your own business." Yuki lightly threatened, but Hatsuharu was hardly bothered.

"I wonder... will it be a girl or a boy?" Tohru wondered, trying to picture what Hiro's new sibling would look like.

"Either would be wonderful! Aw, but if it's a little sister, I'd feel bad that he can't hug her."

"But at least we know the baby won't be born possessed by a spirit from the Zodiac! So the Mama won't be sad!" Momiji pointed out, looking on the bright side as usual. Marley had just been trying to protect the rest of her ice cream from Miguel when her ears caught the conversation.

"Since all twelve members of the zodiac have been born and as long as we're alive, there won't be anymore.."

"People normally have kids because they want them." Yuki finished Haru's thought, and Marley felt her heart drop. She was reminded of how much pain the people she loved were in. Miguel leaned down and snatched up the last bit of Marley's orange creamsicle in her distraction but followed her eye line to the group ahead.

"Ah, But Hiro's Mama took it in stride when Hiro was born, right?! When Hiro transformed for the first time, she just should 'I love sheep!'.." Momiji giggled, thinking how wonderful Hiro's mother was and even couldn't help himself from looking at Marley at the back of the group. He imagined that if Marley were to have a child of the Zodiac, she would be that kind of mother.

"Momiji! Shut it." Kyo scolded and slightly gestured to Miguel, who had looked up, and while he couldn't understand what they were talking about, it certainly seemed like a strange conversation.

Miguel couldn't help but think how strange Marley's new family was.

"What's up?" Miguel mumbled, looking at the Sohma's, curious about what they were talking about as the popsicle stick out of his mouth.

"Oh, um... They were just giving Hiro a hard time about being a big brother." Marley's voice went up a bit before laughing, but Miguel just shrugged and readjusted the watermelons. It seemed like Miguel wasn't gonna ask anything else, and Marley let out a small sigh of relief before her eyes travelled to the backs of her Zodiac friends.

The conversation about Hiro's mother had brought up questions that had perhaps been sitting at the back of Marley's mind.

What had their parents been like? What was that upbringing like? She had met Yuki's parents once at a gala, and while it had been short, it wasn't a warm meeting.

Marley knew about Momiji's parents and had only met his mother once in passing. Her heart clenched at the memory as it had taken almost everything not cry while standing in front of the woman. To tell her that she was missing out on a wonderful person.

Kyo had been raised by Kazuma, and Marley knew that Kazuma was a kind and loving parent. But what about... his other parents?

The curious girl could wonder all she wanted, but she would have to ask if she wanted to know, and it was a subject that she would have to approach carefully.

Yuki's words rang out.

_"People normally have kids because they want them."_

_That was partly true, but sometimes they were accidents...like-_

.

"So, what are all the watermelons for?" Miguel asked, still not understanding why they needed so many as they approached the summer home. Marley shook off her earlier thoughts and brought her attention to Miguel, placing the watermelons with the rest on a sheet on the ground.

"Well, the more watermelons we have-"

"THE MORE FUN THE WATERMELON SPLITTING TOURNAMENT!" Momiji finished, and Marley giggled, happy to see the young blond boy excited.

"The what now?" Miguel just felt more confused.

"It's a popular summertime game here in Japan! One gets blindfolded and tries to hit the watermelon with a bat!" Marley explained as she was excited as Momiji for the game.

"Kind of like a pinata?" Miguel suggested as he remembered the donkey shaped pinata at birthday parties. It had been forever since he had thought about them and was now kind of wondering if it would be weird to buy one, even though he was probably too old.

"Exactly! But no candy."

Everyone was gathered around and ready to go, but something seemed to be missing.

"Oh! I'll be right back!" Marley said as she slipped off her sandals and rushed into the house to grab the bats she picked up from the store before they came to the summer house.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten to tell the group that's what she gone to find.

She had only been gone for 2 minutes, but that was enough for shenanigans to happen.

Marley walked back into the backyard with a bat in hand, but she was in slight shock over what she was seeing. Hatsuharu was sitting and eating from an already split watermelon, and Tohru had her fist raised over an unsplit watermelon.

_What... is she doing?_

"Anyway! In celebration of Hiro-San's baby-" Tohru shouted, ready to move on from her fake story.

"Like I said, it's not my child!" Hiro pointed out.

"Tohru Honda will now split this watermelon!" She proclaimed as she raised her fist high; everyone seemed to freeze in disbelief, and Marley's eyes widened.

_No. No... no no no no no_

"Wha-?! Your serious?!" Yuki stuttered, and Kyo was about to say something, but Tohru's loud call interrupted.

"Haiyaaaa!" The determined brunette was prepared to try and break the watermelon with her bare hands. Marley rushed over, dropping the bats to the grass as she dove forward and placed her hands on the top of the watermelon.

Right in the path of Tohru's fist.

The white-blonde gritted her teeth as the force hit the back of her hand, sending a shiver of pain through her body, and Tohru let out a slew of apologies.

"Marley-Chan! Your hand! I am so sorry! Are you okay?! I'll get some ice!" Tohru panicked, and Yuki tried to calm her down while Miguel said he would grab the ice from the kitchen.

"What were you thinking?! IDIOT! YOUR HAND!"

"I didn't want Tohru to hurt herself..." Marley slowly brought her hand back from the watermelon; it was slightly tender and a little red but nothing too bad.

"I think you two might share a brain cell." Miguel teased as he handed an ice pack to Marley. Kyo tried not to laugh at the joke, but he couldn't help but agree.

"Um... But I brought the bat." Marley gestured to the slim bat she had dropped to the ground when she made the dive to try and stop Tohru from hurting herself.

"What about you?!" Kyo scolded, honestly wondering how Marley made it through the day being so selfless. How much was she willing to sacrifice to save someone else some pain? Kyo didn't want to think about it because a part of him knew that Marley would be quick to give everything she could.

"I'm fine, it's fine." Marley insisted as she stretched out her hand a bit, it was tender, but it would be fine.

"But let's split some watermelon! Who's first?" Marley asked as she took off the silk scarf she had been using as a headband.

"Can I go?" Momiji shot up his hand, and Marley nodded giggled as she helped tied her scarf around his eyes. It would have to do as a blindfold.

"Let Suikaara begin!" Marley proclaimed, excited to get started.

"Suika-wari." Kyo corrected her, a smile on his lips hidden behind his hand.

"... isn't that what I said?" Marley tilted her head slightly, trying to remember how she had said it.

"I shall go first! And I will get revenge for Marley-Chan's hand against this watermelon!" Momiji announced, and Tohru handed him the bat, and the chaos began.

"And for Hiro's baby!" Marley chimed in, followed by a yell from the young Zodiac member, arguing to stop saying it like that while everyone just laughed at the irritated child.

It was undoubtedly a celebration no one would forget, and the watermelon was delicious.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

"When I was a kid, I was afraid that if I ate a watermelon seed, one would grow in my stomach," Haru revealed as he tied up the white garbage bag, the festivities long over and most people had gone their own way.

"Scary." Yuki imagined a giant watermelon growing in Haru's stomach before shaking his head.

"I'm glad that Marley-San got to participate; she mentioned she was looking forward to this even before the summer vacation started," Yuki mentioned as he tied up the bag. It would be a long time before he forgot about the pleasant day he got spend on that farm with Marley.

"Going for a run?" Haru asked, and Yuki looked behind his shoulder. There stood Marley doing a small stretch on the porch, now wearing some short jogging shorts and a t-shirt.

"Yeah, seems like everyone was else is taking a nap." Marley joked as she put up her hair; Yuki imagined they must be tired from all the fun.

"Thanks for cleaning up! I'll be back before dinner." She smiled and waved goodbye as she tucked in her headphones and jogged off, her long hair swaying behind her before she disappeared down the hill.

Yuki looked into the living room, and there were Kisa, Hiro and Momiji lying on the floor, napping in the late afternoon sun. Tohru watched over them, slightly patting Momiji's hair, a soft and kind look in her eyes.

The Rat of the Zodiac's mind wandered.

_'Every day, Akito would visit and deny everything.'_

_Yuki was back in that room, that pitch-black room devoid of light. Where Akito would tell him pitch black things._

_Akito would deny the things I imagined. Deny the things I desired..._

A figure entered the scene and sat down on the couch next to her, and Tohru removed her gaze from the young Zodiacs. A bright smile as she conversed with Miguel and giggled over something he said before bringing a single finger to her lips. A gesture to remind him to be quiet to let the kids sleep. He shrugged and handed her the plate of watermelon he had brought over, and she shyly took a slice, most likely thanking him.

Yuki closed his eyes and turned away from the scene.

"I'm going for a walk." The lost boy mentioned as he put down the broom, hardly hearing Hatsuharu's words as he headed down the hill.

.

"Man, that watermelon smashing brought me back." Miguel sighed and it piqued Tohru's interest.

"Oh? Did you use to do it as a kid?!"

"No, no. But well, we have pinatas, but we didn't put them on the ground or anything. We would hang them from a tree branch and then try to hit it."

"Oh, wow! Was it hard?"

"Na, it was pretty easy. Plus, the candy was always worth it. My Mom always stuffed it full with the best stuff she could get." Miguel smiled as he thought back on the childhood memories.

"Candy?" Tohru found herself so confused as she wasn't sure what candy had to do with pinatas. She wasn't even really sure what a pinata was in the first place, but the word itself sounded fun.

"Oh yeah, you would candy in the pinata before hanging it up. And you would break it open, and all the candy could come falling out, and all the kids would dash to grab what they could." Miguel explained, his dimples showing as he smiled.

"It sounds like so much fun." Tohru gushed as her imagination hard at work.

"Yeah, well, if you ever visit me, I'll promise to set up a pinata. Maybe you'll be better at that than the watermelon smashing." Miguel teased, and Tohru's face bloomed red.

"That sounds much too extravagant! I could never!" Tohru denied, her heart racing at the very idea of even travelling to America.

Miguel put a finger to his lips, gesturing to the kids sleeping, and Tohru slapped her hands to her mouth, which made the tall boy lightly laugh under his breath.

"So... did you that as a kid? The watermelon thing?"

"I- Yes, I did."

"Is that what you were gonna mention? Before you went all panicky and rambled out there before trying to split the watermelon with your bare hand?" Miguel asked and watched as Tohru blushed and covered her face, remembering the embarrassing event, but Miguel only laughed.

"I... I didn't want to hurt anyone." Tohru's voice was slightly muffled behind her hands, and Miguel shook his head as he grabbed her hands and pulled them away from her face.

"Hurting anyone? How are you capable of hurting anyone." Miguel asked as he looked at tiny hands in his. She seemed so small and dainty, but he could see a few callouses on her hand. Their hands seemed so different at first glance, his were larger, and his tan skin contrasted her almost snow-white complexion, but they shared the marks of hard work on their hands.

"Did you use to smash watermelons with your mom with your bare hands?" Miguel asked as he finally let go of her hands.

"OH! Don't worry, we used a bat!" Tohru then told him when she was very young, and she and her mother did in front of their apartment building, and she had a hard time hitting the watermelon.

"A mom broke a flowerpot." Tohru smiled as she said this, it hadn't been funny at the time, but it was certainly funny now. Even Miguel let out a laugh as he could picture a young Tohru panicking over the broken flowerpot. Tohru told Miguel that they made sure to pay for the flowerpot, which only made him laugh more, but he was trying to stay quiet for the sake of the kids sleeping in front of them.

"In the end... we split the watermelon and ate it." Tohru finished her story, her heart warm over thinking back on the good times she got to share with her dear mother. She looked up at Miguel, who had a smile on his face.

"Sounds like you two had lots of fun together." He said softly as he watched her, his head resting on his hand.

"Yes, it was fun!" Tohru burst forward a little, so happy to share the memory of her mother with someone. Tohru rested her hand on his knee, getting in close to share more stories, and Miguel happily listened.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

.

Yuki didn't know for how long he walked, couldn't even hear the sound of the ocean waves or the passing cars as he stared at the pavement, trying to sort out his feelings.

He only stopped to look around when he noticed a figure in front of him, someone he wasn't expecting to see.

"Huh? Kureno?" Yuki gasped, and the older Zodiac member nodded in acknowledgement, and before Yuki could ask what he was doing here, Kureno turned his head, and Yuki followed his eye line.

Akito was staring out at the ocean as he sat on the pile of concrete wave breakers, the slight breeze blowing his hair around. As if he sensed that stare, Akito finally looked over his shoulder, and those dark eyes narrowed in on the Rat.

"Oh... Yuki. Are you alone, as always? What a sad, lonely boy you are." Akito smirked as he started to walk across the rocks to get the pathway.

_'I want to believe... that there's more to life than darkness. I want to believe that just as the sun returns after the rain. That no matter how badly I'm beaten down... it will always be filled by an abundance of kindness. I've held on to that... ever since that day.'_

_Small hands held him close as the yells of boys surrounded them. Pushing, grabbing... slicing. But still... She held him close to her heart. Protecting him._

_Akito reached out to cradle Yuki's face, and he felt frozen. The warmth of the hot sun gone._

"AKITOOOO! You made it!" A melodic voice broke through, and everyone seemed to freeze in the moment as footsteps ran closer.

"I actually can't believe you're here? What changed your mind? You were being such a downer about the beach." Marley asked question after questioned as she hugged Akito and Yuki was slightly in shock as Marley took both of Akito's hands in hers and swung them playfully. Akito seemed to be at the happy girl's mercy.

Akito complained about Marley's sweat, and she apologized while laughing, so it seemed she didn't feel all that bad about it. Akito rolled his eyes, and Marley just squeezed him in a hug once more, and the head of the Sohma family almost looked helpless.

It was a strange reminder... that Akito was not God to all.

"Kureno, good to see you! Are you going to join for some beach ball, maybe? Oh, it's too bad you guys missed the Suikakaara!" Marley whined, already wondering if they could maybe pick up a few more watermelons and so another round.

".. the what?" Akito asked, not understanding what Marley was trying to say.

"The watermelon splitting!" Marley proudly announced as if the group had completed some great task and not just some backyard summer activity. Yuki found himself wanting to smile with her.

_The sun... will always return after the rain._

"It's too hot; I've had enough." Akito decided as he motioned for Kureno to follow.

"Your wearing black head to toe? I'm hot just looking at you." Marley teased, which earned her a soft glare from Akito's dark eyes.

"Are you staying at the house?" Marley excitedly asked, thinking this could be an excellent opportunity to have everyone be together. She wanted Akito to give Tohru a chance as she felt that Akito could really use a kind friend like Tohru.

_Okay, everyone needed a kind friend like Tohru in their lives._

"No, we'll be staying at the annex." Akito shook his head before mentioning that maybe Marley should stay at the annex as well, but Marley joked that she had already made herself quite at home at the summer home.

Akito took one more look at Yuki; a knowing smirk lay on his

"It was nice seeing you Yuki, we'll catch up later." The dark-haired God walked off; the tall man bowed slightly to Marley and Yuki before following after Akito.

Marley turned to say something to Yuki but stopped when she finally took a good look at Yuki. He seemed paler than usual, and something felt off in his grey-eyes. She wondered what the two had talked about before Marley had come across them.

_Had I interrupted something?_

The adopted Sohma knew that Zodiacs had a complicated relationship with Akito, but she didn't know what exactly. She was generally kept in the dark when it came to such topics. But being told it was not her business did not stop her from wondering. Especially when Yuki seemed to be so troubled, and Marley felt the need to try and cheer him up.

"It's way too hot for running. Do you mind taking a walk with me?" Marley offered, not wanting to leave him on his own. Yuki tended to be a very closed book, to her at least, but she thought that maybe just having someone to walk with would help.

"I-... Sure."

The walk was quiet, filled with the ocean waves' sounds and the odd car zooming by on the road. Marley didn't mind, she usually would have liked the quiet walk, but even though Yuki wasn't saying a word, she felt like he was scared.

.

They walked along the path next to the beach, no speaking, only the sounds around them filling the silence. Normally Marley wouldn't mind the silence, but she could feel that Yuki was struggling.

_Maybe we should head back, and Hatsuharu can help..._

It was then that she heard screams and stopped in her steps to look around. Her amethyst eyes widened, and her jaw slightly dropped. Yuki asked her if she was alright, but Marley didn't hear it as a lightbulb lit up overhead.

_Maybe he just needs a little bit of fun!_

"Yuki, Look!" Marley grabbed Yuki's shoulder and used her free hand to point towards a cliff by the ocean. Yuki squinted his eyes and finally locked on to what Marley must have been looking at, and breath stopped just for a moment.

People were cliff jumping into the blue ocean, a jump that looked to be like a forty-foot drop.

"Let's go check it out!" Marley grabbed his hand and dragged him along.

It didn't take long for the two to make it to the cliff where the locals had been jumping. There were about 5 or 6 people, maybe a few years older than Yuki and Marley, but they seemed pretty friendly. Or, perhaps it was the fact that Marley was so friendly and quickly had them in the palm of her hand as Yuki just watched in slight amazement.

She made it look so easy to join in.

"Let's jump!" Marley took her phone out of her pocket and laid on the ground along with slipping off her black t-shirt, leaving her in a black sports bra and dark purple jogging shorts. Yuki averted his gaze, a light blush showing on his cheeks.

"Are... Are we sure it's safe?" Yuki asked just as two people ran off the edge and into the sea... 40 feet below.

"Yeah. It'll be fun." Marley simply put as she slipped off her runners tucked her phone and earphones inside, clearly ready to take the jump. Not an ounce of fear on her eyes, just pure excitement, and Yuki wondered if Marley had a thing for heights and danger. He remembered the brief moment he got to see her in the air, only held up by silks before gracefully twirling towards the ground.

Yuki wished he wasn't so afraid and could be brave.

"I-… I dunno." He stuttered, even stepping back a bit, and Marley's eyes became concerned, hoping she hadn't put him under pressure or anything.

One of the locals cheered on, and soon all the people on the cliff were cheering. Yuki tried not to blush at all the attention while Marley tried to tell them that if Yuki didn't want to, he shouldn't.

"Then let's head to the conbini down the road, kind of craving something salty." Marley went to put her clothes back on, but Yuki could feel she was a little disappointed. She was disappointed but not so much about not jumping but about not getting Yuki to jump.

But she also didn't want to pressure him too much.

"If you want... then you should go for it, and I can cheer you on." Yuki insisted, and Marley seemed to take a few moments thinking it over. Then a bright smile popped onto her face, and Marley promised it would be quick as she headed towards the edge.

Marley thought that maybe, just maybe, if Yuki saw her do it first, then perhaps he would take the plunge too.

Plus, she really was dying to jump.

Marley took a deep breath before leaping off the rocky cliff. A joyful scream filled the air as she dropped towards the blue sea below. Yuki ran over to the side to watch her crash into the water and waited for her head to pop up.

And waited.

Til she burst forward and she let out a loud whoop before she started laughing, everyone up above cheering before someone else jumped in as well. Marley waved at Yuki from where she was, and he weakly waved back, still in slight shock that she had actually jumped. And he was also found himself second-guessing his own choice not to jump.

_It... did look fun..._

.

The boy waited as Marley made her way back, and he just kept looking at the other people who seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"Hey, thanks for waiting. I tried to hurry back." Marley said as she squeezed out some water from her ponytail.

"..I... I think I want to try..." Yuki quietly said, but Marley caught it.

"Really?!" Her eyes wide, hoping she had heard him right.

"But.. I don't have my swimwear..." Yuki admitted as if it wasn't obvious that he wasn't wearing his swim trunks right now.

"Pfft, that's okay. You got boxers, right?" Marley hardly seemed to care.

"I guess..." Yuki shyly muttered, and he took off his shoes and everything else, leaving him in only his blue boxer briefs. He felt slightly embarrassed, but no one else seemed to care or notice.

"Come on, let's do it together!" Marley was so happy, and it was positively infectious. Yuki felt like all the darkness he had been trapped in just moments ago with Akito had been blown away. Burned away by the sunshine that Marley was.

The ran towards the edge and leapt off, Marley was screaming, and Yuki felt himself out a loud yell as well as he felt the rush of wind and his heart pounding so fast, he worried it would pop out. It was like a release, and it felt...

_Freeing. The pitch-dark room was nowhere in sight._

It had been terrifying but also exhilarating. Yuki had taken the plunge and now understood why Marley had been so excited.

The cold water hit, and Yuki swam up to the surface, Marley popping up a few feet away.

"So?" Marley asked as wiped water away from her face before motioning to swim out of the way for the next people to jump.

"Can we go again?" Yuki felt like a child and almost apologized for acting so childishly, but Marley already gave him a thumbs up and said that she would love to jump again.

The two ended up jumping two more times before they finally telling the group of local kids goodbye, grabbing their clothes and lying on the beach. Letting the sun dry them off before they put the clothes back on.

It was possible. To live in that world of light. There were warm, kind people out there. Yuki turned his head as they lay on the beach and watched Marley relaxing in the late afternoon sun. His eyes caught sight of a small white scar neck.

_Brave people who would protect a small mouse from those who would cause harm. And hold that mouse in their tiny hands and close to their chest as they would be comforted by the warmth and the beat of their heart._

"Were you scared?" Yuki asked, and Marley thought that he was referring to the cliff jumping.

"Oh, a little, I guess, but I knew I would be fine. Plus, sometimes, the fear makes it even more fun. Like watching a scary movie." She explained.

"I'm happy you jumped with me! I don't think I've ever heard you yell like that. It was funny." Marley giggled; she didn't mean anything mean by it, but Yuki still felt a little embarrassed but was also happy. It had felt good to let it out while jumping. It was like a release.

"Ready to go back?" Marley asked as she sat up and looked over at the quiet boy.

"I think... I'm just going to stay out for a bit." Yuki said as he closed his eyes, and Marley just got a strange feeling... Like something had changed, but she couldn't be sure what.

"Yuki... Everything alright?" She asked, concerned for her friend, wishing she knew how to help. Little did she know that she had done more than help the boy.

"Mhmm, everything is... Fine. Thank you." Yuki's voice was so calm, but his words only confused her.

"For what?" Marley blinked owlishly as she tried to think of something that was worth being thanked for.

"For … all of it." The Zodiac member took Marley's hand and placed a soft kiss on the back. Marley wanted to ask more but felt stunned as Yuki simply got up and slipped his clothing back on, mentioning he would see her back at the house before walking down the beach.

Marley wondered what was going on and just felt like she knew less about Yuki than before. Like she was being kept at hands length.

_What... are you keeping something inside?_

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

The golden afternoon sun filled the living room, and the youngest Zodiac members were finally waking up from their nap as Shigure surprised everyone with his news.

"Akito-San is here?" Tohru asked the older male, who simply nodded his head, stating that Akito had just arrived.

"Mm. Is Akito staying here?" Momiji asked as he rubbed his eyes, still a little groggy from the afternoon nap.

"Of course not. He's staying in the annex. Anyway, we'd better go pay our respects." Shigure tried to get everyone going before Akito had a tantrum.

"Should we change clothes first?" Hiro asked, and Shigure insisted they were fine to come as they were.

"By the way... Where's Yuki?" The Novelist asked as he looked around the room and noticed that a few people were not accounted for.

"He went for a walk." Hatsuharu was grateful his dear friend was not here.

"Oh, then he can visit later. Marley-Chan, Is she around?" The Dog was also looking for ways to maybe stir things up. Hatori had warned him not to, but he needed to eventually.

Or else he would never get what he wanted.

"She's on a run." Kyo told him as he crossed his arms, his orange eyes glaring him down as if he knew that Shigure must be up to something.

"Well, I'm sure she can go later as well." Shigure waved his hand and then turned to Tohru.

"Tohru-Kun, I hope you don't mind. Just the relatives today." He casually apologized, and Tohru shook her head, promising that it was fine. The young Kisa let out a small sigh of relief that her big sisters would be far from Akito.

"What's going on?" Miguel asked as he noticed that mostly everyone was putting on their shoes to leave.

"Ah, the family head has decided to visit and has called the family members to where he's staying." The Dog explained in English to the foreigner, who just shrugged and accepted the explanation without much thought.

"You two look after Tohru-Kun. I don't think we'll be gone long." Shigure smiled at the three as he stood with the invited Zodiac members.

"Just go already." Kyo scoffed.

"See you later."

.

To Tohru, it had felt like a light suddenly went out.

_Like everyone's mood... Just took a dive._

And with that, the Sohma members were gone, all except one.

"He only came here to throw cold water on the fun. That guy's always been like that. He enjoys ridiculing people." Kyo scoffed, his eyes burning intensely. Tohru's eye filled with sadness for the Sohma family.

_Akito-San really does weigh heavily on them..._

"Why aren't you going?" Miguel asked Kyo, and the boy glared at the ground.

"Wasn't invited." Kyo simply put before getting up and going upstairs.

"Kyo-Ku-" Tohru called out, but he had already disappeared.

"Well, what kind of bullshit is that?" Miguel sighed. It wasn't directed at Kyo but more so at the family that left him out. They appeared to be close, but why was Kyo left behind.

.

It was only 5 minutes later that Marley came through the door.

"I thought you went for a run?" Miguel asked as he gestured to her noticeably wet hair.

"Took a little swim as well..." Marley smiled as she slipped off her shoes. Her large eyes glanced around the living room. Something was off about the house; it was so quiet.

"Where is everyone?" She asked, wondering if they had taken a trip to the store or maybe the beach.

"Ah, Akito-San invited them to the annex," Tohru informed her.

"Oh, that's silly. Akito should have just come here." She sighed, ready to scold Akito for being rude by leaving Tohru and Miguel out and-

"Wait... Did Kyo get to go?" A small spark of hope in her eyes that maybe just maybe-

Tohru shook her head, and Marley's hopes dropped. Marley knew that Kyo told her to stay out of it as he had some sort of 'plan,' but that didn't stop Marley from wishing she could help.

It was awful being treated as an outsider, and she didn't want the people she cared about to feel that way.

"Where is he?" Marley asked, wanting to check on him.

"Carrot-top went upstairs." Miguel shrugged as he opened the fridge and grabbed himself a soda. Marley wasted no time as she hurried up the stairs up and was about to knock on the door, but her hand wavered.

What could she say?

Marley felt her wet hair dripping against her back and took in her attire. Maybe would think of what to say while she showered and threw on some fresh clothes. So the girl did just that. Washing off the day and put her hair into a french braid, slipping on a golden yellow dress that casually flowed to her mid-calf.

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Marley still didn't know what to say, but she found herself in front of Kyo's door again. Letting out a small sigh, she knocked on the door and called out his name. She heard a bit of movement before Kyo opened the door. Marley went to say something, but he stopped her.

"I know what you're thinking', but don't worry about it." He put up his hand and then ran it through his orange tresses.

"'The Cat never gets invited.' "He stated, but she knew those weren't his words; those were the words he had been told all his life.

She hated it. Why did it have to be like this?

How did it end up like this? Was it so easy for them to turn their back on a fellow member? This curse that bound them to this pain. How many Sohma's cursed with the spirit of the Cat had been left behind for something that was out of their control.

The empathic white blonde knew what it was like to be ridiculed for looking a little different, but at least she had her family. Kyo was ostracized by his own family. All because of a curse from years and years ago.

"Hmm, well, then I guess we will just have to have fun without them." Marley decided, and Kyo raised a brow.

"Huh?"

"Let's make some good food! And we have the Nintendo! 4 players is perfect! OR we can watch a movie! Let's go!" Marley smiled and grabbed Kyo by the wrist, her fingers brushing against his prayer beads. Kyo just let her lead, wondering what was going through her brain.

"OH! Are you hungry? Let's make something delicious. Craving anything?" She asked, and Kyo thought back to the morning in the storage room.

"... pancakes," Kyo mentioned, and Marley's eyes widened with excitement.

"I haven't had pancakes in so long! What kind do you like? Buttermilk or maybe blueberry pancakes?" Marley asked him, but Kyo just shook his head.

"I've actually never had them before..." The orange-haired teen admitted, and he could tell that he set a fire in Marley.

"I'll have to make extra good ones then, oh, and we can cook up the bacon and eggs. It'll be an American style breakfast for dinner." Marley got excited, and Kyo knew that this was the place to be. He stood right by her as she told the other two her plan, and Tohru was on board immediately. Both girls excited to have a fun evening while Miguel and Kyo shared a look before chuckling at the girl's antics.

Marley insisted that she would take care of everything, and Miguel convinced Tohru to observe with him from the counter, but Kyo didn't leave Marley's side. Watching everything she did and lending a hand when he could.

The kitchen was warm, filled with smells that were making Kyo's mouth water. Marley may not eat meat, but she cooked up some bacon and let Kyo taste test and the boy couldn't believe how good it tasted and snuck a few more pieces before Marley caught him and had Tohru guard the plate.

They were now using the griddle to make pancakes, and Marley had shown him how to make a few normal ones before she a little 'artistic.'

"Kyo, look! It's the shape of a cat." Marley showed off her creation in the pan, and the orange-haired boy chuckled as the pancake looked more like a blob with two smaller blobs on top, but his chest felt warm as he looked at the misshaped pancake that maybe resembled a cat.

"Ah... But maybe you would feel like a cannibal by eating something cat-shaped." Marley tilted her head as she thought out loud.

"Pfft... Such a weirdo." Kyo chuckled, and Marley giggled as a small blush dusted her cheeks.

Kyo might not get to be among God and the Zodiacs. But a small part of his soul knew this just might be close to heaven.

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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The four teens passed the time with a filling dinner, and they had found a Hollywood superhero movie playing on cable. Kyo and Miguel had argued about who was the better superhero, and Marley and Tohru laughed over the boys being so passionate over the fictional characters. It had been sweet, and Marley felt like the two could become friends.

Time passed, the sun had completely gone down. Miguel was already knocked out on the couch after eating an impressive amount of bacon, his light snores masked by the sound of the TV playing the end credits.

"I hope everything okay..." Marley softly said as she was already beginning to worry. Tohru had decided to go outside to check for the others, but that a few minutes ago.

_Maybe I should have gone with Tohru... but she said she was just checking outside..._

"Hey. Are you gonna go?" Kyo asked her, and she asked what he was referring to, and he simply mentioned the annex where Akito was staying.

"I might go and say hi." Marley looked down at her phone just to see if there were any messages. Kyo thought back to Shigure mentioned that Marley could go to the annex, and he clenched his fist.

"I don't -" The front door burst opened, and Momiji came bouncing in, announcing that everyone had returned. Marley smiled at them, but her eyes wandered back to Kyo, who looked annoyed but shook his head at her, telling her to forget what he was going to say.

The Rabbit immediately noticing the spread of pancakes, cut-up fruit, bacon and maple syrup and his eyes nearly popped out his head.

"Breakfast for dinner! Aww, is there still some left?" Momiji whined, and Marley promised there were lots left for everyone to have.

Soon after, Yuki entered the house with Tohru, and Marley welcomed them back.

Everyone seemed to be in good spirits as they all enjoyed pancakes and bacon. Hatsuharu waved a piece of bacon in front of Miguel as the kids watched, and it comically made him wake up from his nap.

"There's more bacon?" He asked without missing a beat and chomping down on the meat.

"Kyo-Kun, I'm so jealous you got to hang out with Marley and Tohru," Momiji whined, and Kyo told him to stop being annoying, but the two moved their attention when they heard laughter from the kitchen. Marley worked alongside Tohru to make pancakes for the Zodiac members who had just returned home.

"Do... do you think Akito will make Marley visit him...Or Tohru," Momiji asked softly, and Kyo was surprised that the two had been thinking the same thing. It was known that Marley and Akito had a friendship, and Marley hadn't been hurt by Akito. And he couldn't imagine why Akito would call Tohru to the annex.

Kyo knew of the one instance, but he knew that Marley insisted it was a mistake, and he had promised not to tell anyone.

But Akito's temper was infamous, and the Zodiac members worried for the girl they felt was too close to the danger. Kyo couldn't help but wish the white-blonde wasn't so friendly and didn't give her kindness to everyone that crossed her path.

"Kyo? Momiji? Is something wrong? Not feeling well." Marley asked as she placed a plate of pancakes down on the table. Her eyes filled with concern at the two, and Kyo let out a sigh as Momiji shook his head, just saying that he was hungry and the pancakes looked delicious.

But Momiji and Kyo shared a quick look when Marley turned around to grab the bottle of syrup for Momiji.

They didn't want her to go.

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.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Can't think of any notes XD *
> 
> Hey all! Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The summer fun was in full swing but it looks like Akito is going to try and assert her position as God. Too bad for Akito that Marley is more of a spiritual type.
> 
> Thank you to the amazing peeps that left kudos and comments! Thank you, thank you, thank you *sending out good vibes* feeling very grateful and thanks for putting up with this non-existent upload schedule.
> 
> Next Chapter:
> 
> Akito continues to disrupt the summer fun by keeping the inner Zodiacs away from the summer fun, Marley takes notice of something new and Tohru finds a horse in the woods.


	14. Stir It, Stir It, Stir It Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> Can't think of any notes XD
> 
> Songs:
> 
> Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

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The Horse of the Zodiac family sat in the genkan of a house where she was staying, but it was not home. She felt like she had no home, nowhere left to go. But she did have things to do. A mission to help those she cared about most in this world. If only she knew where to start. 

“Isuzu? Are you going out again? We should go somewhere together once in a-, Ah! I’ve got it! Why don’t we go to the vacation home! I finished up all my summer classes, so we can join all the others!” Kagura’s bubbly voice went on and on as Isuzu slipped on her boots. 

“Yun-Chan, Shii-Chan, Haru-Chan and best of all, Kyo-Kun!” The pale teenager stood up, stopping Kagura before she rambled on more. 

“Kagura... why don’t you stop trying to force a romance? It hurts to watch.” She coldly stated, sick and tired of the charade and the effect it could have on others. 

“Why...would you say that?” Kagura was taken back, she knew of Isuzu’s sharp tongue, but this felt more than just a jab. 

“What? It’s true.” Isuzu didn’t even spare her cousin another glance and walked out the front door to do who knows what. The long-haired beauty was indeed a mystery. Kagura called after her but was ignored. 

“What is it? Are you fighting again? She’s been living with us for quite some time now... but hasn’t warmed up to us at all, has she? If anything, she’s become more-” Kagura’s mother was about to say cold. Still, the image of a white-blonde teen with wide amethyst eyes entered her mind, the memory of Marley telling her off was still fresh, and the older woman found herself almost embarrassed of what she was going to say. So she held her tongue.

“It hurts to watch.” She simply said while shaking her head. She did care about Isuzu and was trying to do her best to make the troubled teen comfortable, but it just wasn’t working out. 

“Oh, that’s right. I think I heard you mention the vacation home? I don’t want you going. I heard the head of the family went there yesterday.” Kagura’s mother informed, and it made Kagura’s jaw slack a bit. 

“HUH? 

“You should do what you can to stay out of his way. It would kill me if you ended up in the hospital too.” The worried mother had nightmares of something terrible happening to her daughter and only wished to keep her safe. Nothing good ever came from being in the same company as the head of the Sohma clan. 

“Um. Wait a second. Akito-San... went to the vacation home for what?!” Kagura panicked as she jumped to her feet. 

“I wouldn’t know, but it’s certainly unusual. I suppose just for a vacation. Apparently, Shigure-San invited him...” The woman was interrupted by her daughter’s temper. 

“Shii-chan...SHII-CHAN, YOU ASSHOLE!!!! WAIT UNTIL I GET A HOLD OF YOU! NO MERCY!!!!” Kagura’s screams of frustration and threats as she ruined the front door with a powerful kick, and her mother could only let out an exasperated sigh. 

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. 

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“We’re off!” Momiji announced as he and the other Zodiac members got ready to head out the door to go to the annex. 

“Already? Do you know how long you’ll be?” Marley hoped that maybe it would just be a few hours as she just wanted everyone to be together. 

“We’ll be back as soon as we can.” Momiji smiled up at Marley; she could see that he was apprehensive about leaving behind his smile and warm brown eyes. Did he feel torn about leaving? Guilty about leaving to go to Akito’s side? 

“Okay.... have fun.” Marley patted Momiji’s fluffy hair and placed a kiss on his forehead as hugs were out of the question. 

“Here, here! Can I get another? Right here?” Momiji jumped up and down while pointing to his cheek, and Marley just giggled before complying, laying a soft peck to his cheek, which made the Rabbit cheer. 

“YA DAMN RABBIT!!” Kyo tried to grab hold of Momiji, but he just hid behind Tohru, sticking his tongue out at Kyo as Tohru tried to calm them down. 

Marley felt a small tug on her dress, and she looked down to see Kisa’s large golden eyes gazing up at her. 

“May... May I get one?” Kisa shyly asked, and Marley giggled as she took Kisa’s face in her hand and kissed her forehead. 

“How about me?” Haru asked and pointed to his cheek, and Hiro started to get all huffy, but Marley laughed as she snuck a little kiss to his forehead, which made him blow up red. 

“Oh-ho? Perhaps I can sneak a kiss as well?” Shigure teased, and before he could step any closer, Kyo and Yuki stepped in front of Marley and gave their best death glares. 

Marley felt a little grateful as she really didn’t feel comfortable kissing Shigure on the cheek, even if it was innocent or even as a joke. 

“Leave already.” Kyo hissed, sick of everyone already, and the day had just begun. 

“That was a little creepy, Sensei. You should learn where the line is,” Hatsuharu told Shigure with a deadpan face as the adult nervously laughed, insisting it was a joke. 

Marley and Tohru waved everyone off before going back to clean up the leftover breakfast. The maids that had been at the summer house were now staying at the annex under Akito’s orders. One younger maid had said that she would try and do what she could, but Marley insisted that she would be fine. 

Marley and Tohru were hardly bothered by a little housework now and then. Plus, Marley knew that Momiji would be keen to help. 

The two were washing the dishes when Marley’s phone went off, and she excused herself to take the call. She stepped outside on the porch as she animatedly spoke on the phone, a bright smile on her face, and Tohru assumed that she must be talking with her grandfather as Tetsuo seems to check in every day. 

Tohru stood at the kitchen counter, and hand dried the dishes, taking a moment to think. Last night when she had walked off to try and see if the others had returned from the annex, she had found Yuki instead, and they had been lucky enough to catch the sight of some shooting stars. 

Tohru had wanted to rush back to the house to get Marley as she was reminded of the lake house when they had watched the meteor shower together. But Yuki had stopped her, and she found herself in a strange situation. 

Yuki had spoken so softly as he held Tohru by her forearms and had even laid a soft kiss on her forehead, but that wasn’t all. Tohru had sworn she felt raindrops along with the tender kiss, but there hadn’t been a cloud in the sky. 

The concerned brunette’s thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice, and looked up to see Hatori and panicked to greet him and the family doctor apologized for not coming by sooner to say hello. It was then that Marley came back inside. 

“Hatori! When did you get here?” Marley called out as she walked over, tucking her phone into the pocket of her dress. 

“I came yesterday with Akito, but with everything, I haven’t had a chance to come by and say hello,” Hatori explained, and Marley nodded. 

“Would you like some tea-” Marley was about to get started on a cup, but Hatori’s voice stopped her. 

“I can’t stay long.” 

“Oh...” Marley tried to mask her disappointment. It felt like it had been a while since she’d been able to catch up with the family doctor, and every time she did see him, it was always in passing. 

“I’m sorry... You... Came here to have fun with everyone, but we keep leaving you girls on your own. I’m sorry.” Hatori bowed his head, and Marley furiously started shaking her head. 

“What?! No! Don’t be sorry! We’re not alone... and there is still lots of time left here at the beach..” Marley pointed out, trying to look on the bright side. 

“I just...I hope you are enjoying your summer vacation too..” Marley smiled softly up at Hatori, and he let out a small sigh before smiling and lightly patting Marley’s head. 

“Don’t forget to put on sunscreen and drink lots of water. It’s going to be another hot one today.” Hatori showed his concern through his doctorly advice and was off just like that. 

The white-blonde stood there for a moment, fidgeting with the locket around her neck. She wondered if she should go to the annex to finally pay Akito a visit. But that would mean leaving behind Miguel, Tohru and K-. 

“I guess we might as well hang out at the beach.” Kyo’s voice made broke Marley’s train of thought. Her amethyst eyes taking him, and ideas of visiting Akito at the annex were now just a passing thought. 

“That’s what you wanted to do, right?” Kyo shoved his hands in his pockets as he studied Marley for her answer, and just like Kyo figured, the lost look on her face disappeared and was replaced by a soft smile, and her eyes seem to be filled with light. 

“I... Yes. I would love that.” 

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.-.-.--.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.- 

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“Oh, Yuki-Kun. I thought you would be with Akito-San.” Shigure walked over to the young teen reading a book on the porch, the sunlight peeking through the foliage. 

“... He’s all over Haru today.” Yuki informed as he continued to try and read. 

“I see. That leaves us with a lot of free time.” Shigure leaned against the door frame. 

“Yeah, I wish he would just let us go back, but we shouldn’t leave Haru here....” Yuki sighed as he re-read the same line for the 3rd time. 

“...Yuki-Kun, what did Akito say to you yesterday?” Shigure asked as he knew that even though Yuki hadn’t come to the annex yesterday, Akito still shared words with the Rat. 

“... the truth. Satisfied?” Yuki closed the book, done with the conversation, but Shigure wasn’t as he wanted to know all the in’s and outs. 

“No.... not yet. Not nearly.” Shigure sighed, but Yuki had already walked away from him. The Dog sighed and looked into the house, wondering what Akito and Haru were up to. 

“I heard Kureno’s here. That true?” Hatsuharu asked as Akito leaned against his back, lounging and treating the Cow of the Zodiac as a piece of furniture. 

“Even if it is, I’m not going to let any of you meet him.” Akito huffed, aggravated by the question. 

“Not even Honda-San?” Haru asked as he stared out the window at the green trees outside as a yellow butterfly was passing by. 

“... What does that have to do with anything?” Akito asked as he sat up and looked over his kimono-clad shoulder to gaze at Haru’s face. 

“After all, Kureno is a member of the Zodiac too.” The bi-coloured teen simply stated. 

“So what? She has to meet every member of the Zodiac?” Akito scoffed, and Haru could feel the room growing colder, even in the summer heat. 

“Nah, not really, but she’s met so many of us, it’d feel unnatural if she didn’t meet all of us.” Haru shrugged, not seeing the big deal or why Kureno was kept so separate from the rest of the Zodiacs. 

“Unnatural? Unnatural... really? Ahahahaa Hatsuharu... you always say the funniest things.” Akito started laughing and pulled on Haru’s sleeve. 

“Is there anything else? Something more that seems unnatural to you?” Akito teased, his dark eyes staring deep into Haru’s eyes. 

“No... I wish you wouldn’t laugh at me like that.” Haru’s tone was soft, but one could see the pain behind his gentle brown eyes. 

“.. What can I do? You say the silliest things. This is what makes you the stupid ox. Everyone thinks so.” Akito smirked as if their words were nothing, but it felt like a knife was being twisted somewhere in Haru’s soul, but Akito looked at Haru’s sullen face and tilted his head. 

The Cow, like everyone else, was at God’s mercy. 

“Oh? Did I hurt your feelings? Did I now?” The taunting only twists the knife more, and all Haru could do was hold his tongue and wait for the day to end already. 

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..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

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The calls of seagulls mixed with the natural music of waves crashing onto the sandy beach. Two girls giggled as they patted down some sand, the late afternoon sun glowing down on them. 

There had been a small badminton game between the boys, and the loser would have to get buried. Kyo stood smugly as he looked down at Miguel’s head that was poking out of the sand, the rest of his body hidden. 

“Are you alright, Miguel-Kun?” Tohru asked, and Miguel just smiled, insisting that he would win next time and make Kyo jump in the ocean when he did. At this challenge, Kyo just smirked and told him that he was ready for anything. 

The two seem to have a somewhat friendly rivalry of some sort. It was nothing like the energy between Yuki and Kyo, and the girls found themselves enjoying it. 

“Let’s make him into a mermaid!” The idea popped into Marley’s head, and Tohru seemed very intrigued as the white-blonde explained what they needed to do. 

“Man..... just don’t take a picture or something and show it to my sister.” Miguel groaned, really wishing he had won the game of volleyball. But no one was listening as they started tracing out a long fish-like tail and a torso in the sand. The beginnings of the mermaid’s body were taking place. 

“This brings me back...” Marley smiled as she finished tracing out the sand’s shape and got ready to start piling sand in-between the lines. 

“You bury a lot of people as a kid?” Kyo teased, and Marley laughed and winked. 

“Na.... just used to draw in the dirt a lot.” She admitted as she and Tohru smoothed out the sand with their hands. 

“Really, Marley-Chan? That sounds like fun.” Tohru smiled as she pictured a young Marley playing as a kid. 

“It was! I was always trying to draw whatever I saw on TV. Dinosaurs, mermaids, aliens.” Marley thought back on her childhood back in her great grandmothers’ farmland. The other kids weren’t interested in being her friend, so she spent a lot of time with either Naniji, Baloo the dog or any of the farmland animals that would put up with her. 

One of the reasons she became a vegetarian very young was because she couldn’t imagine eating any of her animal friends. 

When her grandmother was napping in the middle of the day, Marley would spend outside, using a stick to draw in the dirt on sunny days. Trying to recreate the images she saw on the small TV they owned. Baloo was an older dog and would sit nearby, and watch and Marley would talk with him and imagine that he was an art critic and her biggest fan. 

“Like here, I would draw a T Rex.” Marley giggled as she picked another spot on the beach and traced a cartoonish dinosaur with cartoonishly small hands. 

Kyo laughed and said he doubted that T Rex wasn’t going to be eating anything with the round teeth Marley had given it and then started the light-hearted competition between the two drawing dinosaurs in the sand. At the same time, Tohru stayed with Miguel and watched the two. 

“Marley!!! Tohru!!!” A loud yell called out, and Marley looked over to see a body collide with Tohru’s, a loud pop sound. 

“We’re back, we’re back, we’re back!” Momiji shouted in his bunny form while he hung off of Tohru, and it would be a funny scene if it weren’t for the visiting guest that still had no clue about the Sohma curse. 

“What was that? That sound?” Miguel asked as he tried to turn his head around to look, but Marley panicked and tried to think of something as she waved her warms to keep Miguel’s attention towards the ocean rather than the scene happening behind him. 

“Momiji, you startled me.” Tohru held her hand over her beating heart. 

“Momiji! You idiot!” Kyo scolded as he lifted the rabbit off of Tohru and shook his slightly. 

“AH! Firecrackers!” Marley’s heart was beating fast as she tried to protect the Sohma secret. 

“Oh, but I guess they’re gone now, hey Haru! Wanna help me give Miguel some boobs?” Marley tried to switch the topic and waved Haru over. 

“.....” Everyone shook their heads at Marley’s words. 

“What cup size?” The teen with the punk aesthetic asked as he dropped down by Miguel and inspected the sand torso. 

“Double D’s, of course.” And both Haru and Miguel’s eyes zeroed in on Marley’s chest as if to estimate, and she blew up red and covered her face with her hands but laughed at how openly perverted the boys could be. 

There was another pop, and Yuki quickly covered Tohru’s eyes as Momiji rushed to put his clothes back on. To give them privacy Marley looked away, and her eyes become focused on the ocean as it seemed to glow in the afternoon sun. An ocean breeze blew past her, and she took a deep breath of the salty air. She was glad that everyone seemed to be in good spirits but wished they had been able to join Kyo, Tohru, Miguel and herself for some of the beach fun. 

The sun wouldn’t be out for much longer, and it would be time for them all to go back to the house for dinner. 

“We’re back.” Kisa held onto Marley’s floral dress, and the older girl wrapped the young Tiger in a tight hug, welcoming her back. 

“What did you do to Miguel?” Hiro asked as he crossed his arms. He had been disappointed that they couldn’t have spent the day with Marley, but at least nothing bad had happened at the annex. 

“He lost a game to Kyo, so he had to be buried.” Marley explained it was hard to miss Kyo’s slightly proud smirk before Haru asked if he cheated, which led to Kyo yelling. 

“I want to play in the sand too! Hiro! Can we bury you?” Momiji asked as he latched onto the young boy. 

“Get away from me, Rabbit!” Hiro complained, and for a moment, he seemed like a younger Kyo. Marley laughed at the scene, happy that everyone seemed to be in good spirits. 

“Ah, Um, w-welcome back..” Tohru greeted Yuki nervously, and Marley wondered if something had happened, but her attention was swiftly grabbed by Kisa asking if Marley about all the drawings in the sand and if they could draw some together. 

“Of course! Haru, I’m leaving you in charge of Mermaid Miguel.” Marley gave a salute to Haru, who returned it and continued working on the sculpture. 

“Kyo is really good at drawing in the sand, look his dinosaur is much scarier than mine.” Marley told Kisa, and Kyo huffed, a small blush on his cheeks. 

“But I’m not sure Kyo knows what a lion looks like.” Marley pointed to another drawing in the sand, and it really did just look like a fluffy cat with scary teeth. 

“That’s supposed to be your cat.” Kyo challenged, and the girls giggled as they could almost see the slight resemblance, but Marley then insisted that Gimli was much cuter than Kyo’s drawing. 

Marley and Kisa tried their hand at drawing and was about to ask Kyo to judge, but Yuki had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Marley dropped the stick she had in hand and walked forward to try and break it up, but Yuki’s stern voice stopped her. 

“The next time you see Akito... don’t be a jackass and lose your temper.” Yuki warned Kyo as he stared him down. There was an intensity to Yuki’s eyes that Kyo rarely saw. 

“I don’t care how much he ridicules you. You better not do anything stupid, or you could end up dragging her down with you.” Yuki didn’t need to name anyone. Kyo’s mind rushed to large amethyst eyes lined with thick lashes when Yuki mentioned a ‘her.’

“Wh- What?! I don’t need to hear that from YOU!” Kyo hissed as he shoved Yuki away, disgusted that he was getting a scolding from the ‘Rat’ of all people/ 

“Get off your high horse!!!! Who the hell do you think you are?!?!? Huh?!” Kyo challenged, his orange eyes practically glowing in the sunset’s glow. Yuki stood up taller, and his next words had everyone shocked. 

“Yuki-Sama.” The handsome grey boy said it so seriously, with an intense glower on his face, that Marley wished she had caught it on video 

“...I... I’LL KICK YOUR ASS!!!” Kyo raged as everyone burst into laughter. Tohru panicked to try and calm down the raging Kyo, and Marley tried to step forward to place a hand on Kyo’s shoulder but was intercepted. 

“I’m hungry. Shall we head back?” Yuki asked Marley as he led her away, and she could only try to look back at the beach behind her. Kyo looked a little shocked but had stopped yelling, only staring back at Marley. Yuki squeezed her hand to re-grab her attention and smiled handsomely at her. Marley raised an eyebrow before sighing, wondering what was going but also kind of hungry too. 

_Yuki can be so mysterious sometimes..._

“I feel like.... we forget something.....” The white-blonde admitted as she tilted her head slightly, trying to think about what she might be leaving behind. 

“EXCUSE ME! CAN I GET A HAND OR SOMETHING!!!” A loud voice called, and it was then that Marley realized what she had forgotten. 

“MIGUEL-KUN!” Marley heard Tohru yell as she hastily tried to help dig him out. 

“I forgot to take a picture!” Marley gasped, and Yuki stifled a chuckle. 

“Don’t worry, I got a few.” Haru informed as he came up beside her and showed him a few pics on his phone. 

“Ooo, wow, you even found some seashells to put over the breasts, nice choice.” Marley gave him a thumbs up. 

“It didn’t seem right to not have a seashell bra. There are kids around.” Haru explained, and Marley fully agreed. 

“True, we can’t have Miguel’s breasts out in the open. It could be traumatizing for the kids.” Marley tried to stay serious, but it came out in giggles. 

“You two... need to hang out less.” Kyo groaned as he shoved Haru away and walked beside Marley. The adopted Sohma only giggled and took his hand in hers, swinging both his and Yuki’s hand as they walked along the forest path back up to the summer home. 

_Tomorrow.... maybe tomorrow everyone can spend the day together at the beach._

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

. 

. 

_The jungle of tall grey buildings and the buzz of traffic mixed with the sound of the city, but for a moment, it felt like someone had hit the mute button._

_Kyo watched as a woman stepped off the sidewalk, and time seemed to move in slow motion. Kyo saw a large vehicle, and he wanted to reach out, but fear stopped him._

_He was cursed in more ways than one._ He couldn’t save her.

 _The sound of screeching tired and screams rang in the air, and blood coated the pavement._

_“.... I’ll never forgive you...”_

“Bad dream?” Marley asked as Kyo let out a gasp and shot up. His orange eyes met hers, and he realized he wasn’t in the city but at the beach. He could hear Tohru and Miguel playing in the ocean instead of the sound of ambulance sirens. 

“Just a memory...” Kyo’s words were quiet, but Marley still caught them. He was holding his head in hand and seemed shaken. 

“Are you alright?” Marley asked as she closed her novel and put it down on the blanket beside her. The two were resting on the beach blanket just a few feet away from the water while Tohru and Miguel had decided to go for a little swim. 

“Don’t worry about me... how long was I out anyway?” The boy asked as he wanted to forget the nightmare. 

“Not too long. You only dozed off for a little bit.” Marley told him as she checked her phone, curious about the time. Even though Marley hadn’t gone in the ocean, she was in her swimsuit, and her skin was drinking up all the sunlight it could. 

“Why don’t you join in the water, don’t stay here just for me.” Kyo gestured out to Miguel and Tohru, who were playing in the water. It was another day in the summer vacation, and again, Akito had called the Zodiacs to go to the annex. 

“Trying to get rid of me?” Marley teased, and Kyo just scoffed, a small blush on his cheeks, and the girl giggled at the pout on his lips. 

“It’s been nice catching up on some reading and... I like it when we’re together.” Marley smiled at Kyo 

“.....” Kyo rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked away, his skin feeling hot. He blamed it on the sun getting to him. 

“You reminded me of a cat napping in the sunlight.” Marley didn’t mean to tease as she meant it genuinely, but Kyo felt embarrassed. 

“I wonder if the cat spirit is enjoying it too...” Marley wondered aloud as she thought of how Kyo had truly reminded her of her own cat Gimli and wondered if it was a Kyo trait or a cat sprit trait. 

“Huh?” 

“Oh I guess I was just thinking.... you mentioned that the cat spirit doesn’t like the water, right? That’s why you don’t like it?” Marley pulled back her sunglasses, resting them on her head. 

“Is... the cat spirit... talkative?” She asked, hoping she wasn’t too intrusive, but she had been curious about it. 

“Nah, it’s not like I have someone talking to me or something. It’s more like... a feeling.” Kyo tried to explain, but he had to admit that it was something no one had ever asked him. 

“Like something gets... uncomfortable, and I always feel a pull too...Forget it.” Kyo didn’t want to burden Marley with all dark feelings that he sometimes didn’t know where he or the Zodiac spirit he had been cursed with. 

He worried if she would see him differently. There were things that Kyo didn’t want Marley to know. 

“Sorry, I know... I sometimes ask too many questions. I just wish I understood better.” Marley’s eyes looked out at the horizon; the water was practically glittering under the sun. 

“Why?” 

“Well... maybe I could understand, then maybe I could....” Even Marley wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. Marley was a curious soul, and Kyo tried to think of what he could say to try and give her anything. 

“The previous cat didn’t like the water either, or that’s I heard.” Kyo shrugged, and Marley remembered that the previous cat was Kazuma’s grandfather. Marley’s eyes travelled to Kyo’s wrist, where his prayer bead encircled. 

The ones that kept the cat’s true form hidden. 

“Did the previous cat also wear that bracelet?” Marley asked, and Kyo held his wrist out to her so she could get a better look. 

“yeah.” 

“They’re very pretty, looks like...dyed clay beads.” Marley lightly touched the beads, her fingers gingerly feeling their texture. 

“Human bones.” Kyo informed her, and Marley’s eyes widened a bit at the new information. 

“Some famous monk or something made it. Apparently, the red ones are coated with human blood. We’re talkin’ about hundreds of years ago, though. I don’t know how much of the story’s real.” Kyo tried to play it off, but Marley’s eyes could tell that this was something that weighed heavily on his shoulders. Her gaze made Kyo let out a small sigh, and some of his thoughts spilled over his lips as he felt safe sharing with the compassionate girl. 

“But.. I understand at the very least.... that people’s lives were sacrificed to make this talisman. Ever since I was a little kid, I thought that was strange.” Kyo’s voice was soft, but Marley caught every word. 

_Where do I get off... stayin’ alive because of other people’s sacrifices... Other people’s lives?! Stealin’ the most precious thing of all... tramplin’ on other people!_

Kyo’s eyes seemed to drift away, a sadness overcame him, and Marley felt helpless as she could just watch. 

_No, she couldn’t._

Warm hands reached for Kyo’s wrist, encircling it in a gentle hold, nails lightly hitting the bone beads of the talisman. Marley’s heart went out to him, and she wished she could take away the pain in his eyes, but Marley figured she could, at the very least, let him know that she was here for him. 

Just like that, Kyo was brought back to the present and felt himself soften as he gazed over at bright amethyst eyes that held nothing but concern for him. 

_I don’t deserve such kindness, yet here you are... looking at me like that_. 

The moment was interrupted when a massive wave washed over the two. The wave retreated back to the ocean, but the damage had been done. Both teens were soaked to the bone and sputtering out saltwater. 

“Well... I guess you can’t escape the water...” Marley giggled as she shook out her book, which was now completely drenched but she hardly looked bothered by the sudden waves. 

“You... STUPID OCEAN!!” Kyo jumped to his feet as he yelled at the vast ocean, and Marley could only blink owlishly as she watched. 

“I’ll kill you! You got that!! Go to hell, you asshole!!” Kyo waved his fist, and Marley laughed before deciding to join in, jumping to her feet and yelling at the ocean too. 

“Ya! You better watch ocean! Kyo’s the sand guardian! Guardian of the sand!” Marley tried to do a war cry, but she just started laughing. Kyo glared and held Marley’s face in his hands, squishing her cheeks slightly. 

“Don’t laugh at me.” Kyo told her, but it was hardly intimidating, and Marley just continued laughing. 

“I’m not! Its... At the ocean, I swear. And a f-funny vine!” The girl could barely put words together, and the words she did just confused Kyo more. 

“A what?” Marley’s word sometimes made no sense to Kyo. 

“Are you guys, alright?” Tohru called out as she walked through the shallows towards where Marley and Kyo were. 

“The ocean answers back?” Marley joked, and Kyo rolled his eyes. 

“We saw that wave take you guys out. It was hilarious.” Miguel laughed as he walked out of the ocean and chuckled over Kyo looking like a drowned cat 

Cold dark eyes had watched the whole scene and felt a tightening coil in her stomach. Akito had been on a walk with Kureno when they stumbled upon the two. 

“The Monster... Doesn’t seem to have a care in the world. Even though it killed its own mother.” The head of the Sohma clan scoffed as she glared down at the Cat of the Zodiac. Marley panicked as she looked for something and Kyo seemed to laugh as he easily found what she had been looking for. 

A book, now soaked by the ocean, was placed in Marley’s hands and her shoulders sagged before getting a determined look on her face and waving the book around as if that would solve the problem. Kyo grabbed it from her and held it out of her reach, seeming to tease her over something, and Marley giggled before trying to grab it back. 

The two looked like they were having fun, and Akito found herself uncomfortable. 

“Let’s go back. It’s too hot. I don’t feel well.” Akito was already walking, and Kureno obediently followed. 

“But now I get it. The most deluded one here is that Monster.” Akito sneered, her fists clenching as she thought of Marley and Kyo smiling and laughing together. 

_It was disgusting._

Another pair of eyes watched over the scene and let out a sigh of relief from a little way away. Yuki was grateful that Akito hadn’t made contact. But another sight caught his attention has noticed a young woman with long black hair walking down a path. 

. 

. 

.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

. 

. 

Tohru was bringing down some of the laundry as a light summer breeze blew through. Miguel was taking a nap on the couch, and Kyo was using the bath to get rid of the saltwater.

It had been a wonderful day at the beach, and they had returned to the house for a small lunch and a break from the hot midday sun. The girls were taking down the laundry; not many words were exchanged as it seemed both girls had a lot on their minds. 

A strong wind blew, and one of the white sheets came loose off the laundry line and floated towards the forest. 

“Aah Wait! Please don’t fly away!” Tohru called, and Marley laughed a bit as she continued taking down the rest of the laundry, figuring Tohru would be okay to collect the runaway fabric on her own. 

The brunette found the sheet resting on a bush and was relieved to find it, but another sight made her breath stop for a moment. There, lying in the middle of the grass, was a dark chocolate coloured horse. Their dark eyes locked onto Tohru, and the girl jumped up. 

“Horse!!” She stood up so quickly and ended up bumping her head on the tree a few steps behind her. 

“Wh-whats a horse doing here?” Tohru asked as she stumbled forward and rubbed the back of her head. Her eyes scanned the area and noticed a pair of boots and a purse, which gave her some clues. 

“A member of the-” 

“Rin!” Yuki entered the small clearing and surprised Tohru. 

“So, it is you, Rin.” 

“Yuki-Kun?” 

“I thought I saw her earlier, so I followed... but I guess you found her first Honda-San.” Yuki told her, and Tohru began to fret. 

“N-no, Um. I only happened to find her lying here just now..” 

“This is Rin... Isuzu Sohma.” Yuki made the introductions, and Tohru was still in slight shock as she nodded and repeated the young woman’s name, adding a polite suffix to the end. 

“As you can see, she’s the horse. But why did you transform, Rin? Are you not feeling well?” Yuki asked, concern in his eyes for his fellow Zodiac member, but Isuzu stayed silent, her dark eyes glaring at him. 

“Um, maybe someone should call Hatori-San-” Tohru was interrupted by Yuki pulling her aside just in time to miss a kick from the horse. 

“Rin, you could really hurt someone while in your horse form.” Yuki scolded, but Isuzu didn’t seem to care. 

The horse began to rise to their feet, and a popping sound filled the area along with dark red smoke and in its place sat a beautiful woman with long ebony hair and striking deep brown eyes. 

“Don’t...Call Anyone.” Isuzu’s words rang through the clearing as her cold eyes stared into Tohru’s. 

“E-excuse me! Um, USE THIS!” Tohru panicked as she threw the white sheet at Isuzu so she could cover her bare body. 

“Um- I’ll grab her a change of clothes!” And before anyone could argue, Tohru had run back towards the summer house. Tohru felt so flustered as she never thought she would get to meet another Zodiac here of all places. 

_Possessed by the horse spirit... a girl, and she’s beautiful. In fact, the expression ‘bewitching beauty’ was made for people like her..._

It was then the voice of the other girl that was a bewitching beauty in Tohru’s mind interrupted the flushed brunette’s thoughts. 

“Tohru? Were you not able to get the runaway sheet?” Marley asked her as she noticed that Tohru came back empty-handed. 

“Ah Marley-Chan! I.. I don’t think my clothes will fit her!” Tohru said as she looked through some of the clean laundry in the basket, and Marley tilted her head, wondering what Tohru was talking about. 

. 

. 

“Don’t push yourself too hard. You’re obviously not feeling well. And anyway... why are you here?” Yuki asked as he tried to think of what possible reason the Horse of the Zodiac would be in the area. The grey-haired boy watched as Isuzu picked up her belongings, and he recalled the conversation he had with Hatsuharu. 

_“I was dumped... we’d kept our relationship secret...”_

“Are you here to see someone?” Yuki asked, and in an instant, his shirt’s collar was in Isuzu’s fist, her large eyes glaring daggers into him. 

“Shut up! Where I go or what I do is none of your business!” She growled, but Yuki was hardly fazed. 

“You better not tell... anybody that I was here because if you do, I swear I’ll kill you!” She threatened as her grip tightened. 

“You’ll kill me? I think we both know you wouldn’t be able to fulfill that threat, right?” 

“Don’t be cocky. In the end... Your just Akito’s toy!” Isuzu snapped, and Yuki hardly seemed fazed, but another voice broke through, and the two Zodiacs widened their eyes. 

“Isuzu!” 

The girl froze in her actions, and she looked over to see Marley staring at her, shock in her eyes, and Isuzu could feel any fight she had in her drain away. Marley had barely used Isuzu’s name, usually calling her ‘Zuzu.’ The Dark haired woman felt a wave of shame flow over her as she realized how harsh her words had been, but it was too late to take them back. 

Marley walked forward and looked at her dear friend with such sad eyes. Marley had no idea why Isuzu was there but was more shocked by the words she had thrown at Yuki. 

But the sun-kissed girl could see the storm brewing behind Isuzu’s eyes and let out a soft sigh before holding her hand out to her. 

“Lets go to the house. We’ll have some tea together.” Marley offered, her eyes filled with the kindness and love that Isuzu craved. Tohru watched and was in slight awe as it seemed like the two beautiful young women looked like a painting and reminded Tohru of the yin and yang symbol. 

Marley’s long white-blonde hair was flowing behind her in waves and curls, her brown skin had noticeably gotten darker with all the time she had spent in the sun. It was such a contrast to Isuzu’s straight black hair and skin as pale as snow. 

Isuzu eye’s travelled from Marley’s open palm to the black and red friendship bracelet around her wrist. The one Isuzu herself had made after Marley had gifted her a bracelet woven off purple and gold. Her eyes began to burn with angry tears as Isuzu tried to figure out how she ended up here. How did she end up on the other end of that disappointing look from Marley? 

No matter how much the Horse tried to push Marley away... why was she still so kind? All Isuzu wanted was for Marley to not get caught up in the black hole that was the Sohma family but yet... Here she was. Smiling kindly and lending a hand, almost identical to that day they met when Isuzu was hiding in Marley’s room from hospital staff. 

And Isuzu wanted to take that hand and be led back to a safe place. 

But... The Horse didn’t want to drag Marley further into the darkness. 

The angry girl slapped Marley’s hand away, causing Tohru and Yuki to let out a collected gasp as Marley held her hand to her chest and winced a little bit. Isuzu clenched her jaw and grabbed the clothes that Tohru was holding. 

“Don’t tell anyone... DON’T SAY A WORD!!” She yelled before running off down a forest path, her long legs carrying her away in haste. 

“Marley-Chan...Are you -” But Marley had already started running after Isuzu, and Tohru wasn’t sure what to do. 

“Rin and Marley-San are apparently close. I wouldn’t be too worried.” Yuki comforted Tohru, but she still looked concerned. 

“Oh...” 

“But.. Let’s do her a favour and not mention to anyone that we saw her.” Yuki asked of her, and Tohru nodded. 

“I’d better get back before people get suspicious. Nobody knows that I slipped away. Sorry for the commotion. We’ll try to get back to the house as early as we can...” Yuki wished he could walk her back and stay in her company, but it would only lead to trouble for her. 

“I’ll be waiting.” Tohru smiled gently, and Yuki felt his heart warm. Yuki smiled and walked off down the path that both Marley and Isuzu had run off towards. He only found Marley, who was looking around looking lost. 

“I...I lost track of her.” Marley admitted, and Yuki could see she was trying to cover up her distress with a smile. 

“Did you two.... have a fight?” Yuki asked as he watched Marley’s face go through an array of emotions. Marley’s eyes were full of worry, but it was filled with a sense of sadness and slight disappointment. 

“No... But I know she’s upset with me.” Marley revealed as she let out a large sigh. Marley wouldn’t say why Isuzu was upset with her. It wasn’t like she could just say; 

‘Oh, my best friend told me to stay away from the boy I’m crushing on due to a curse and also that another friend is in love with the same guy, and it’s hopeless.’ 

Marley still had Kagura’s handkerchief that was decorated with orange kitties and cute florals in the embroidery. She reminded herself to give it back when she returned to the Estate. 

“Are you mad at her?” Yuki asked as he couldn’t imagine what the two girls could be fighting about. 

“What? No, nothing like that! I just... I wish I knew what I could to reach her.” Marley admitted as she looked down another path in hopes of maybe catching sight of the girl. 

“Are you looking for Zuzu too?” Marley asked as she brought out her phone and started tapping on it, sending out a few messages to Isuzu asking her to please call or text back. 

“I wanted to go after her, but I should head back to the annex.” Yuki knew that he was pushing it by being away for so long. 

“Ah, right. How is it?” Marley had almost forgotten about the annex with the commotion and surprise of seeing Isuzu. 

“Its fine.” Yuki simply put as he put on the smile that Marley recognized from school when he was being polite and dealing with fangirls. 

“You.. Don’t want to be there... do you?” Marley knew so little, but she felt like she was picking up pieces to a puzzle, bit by bit. 

“I’ll see you when we get back.” Yuki left Marley on the path, and she hated the slightly dejected look that showed through the boy’s shoulders as he walked off. And so, Marley got an idea. 

“Wait! I’m coming with.” Marley jogged up beside Yuki, and he was slightly shocked and tried to insist that she head back to the summer home, but Marley wasn’t really listening; she had made up her mind, her own stubbornness shining through. 

“I did say I would visit Akito. Better now than never.” She insisted before bringing out her phone, making sure it was not on silent so she could hear the notifications. Her mind was still wondering about Isuzu, and a part of her was hopeful that maybe she had headed towards the annex. But she sent a few more messages, in hopes that her dear friend was getting them. 

**+Wherever you are, Zuzu, I hope you’re okay+**

**+Please, just talk to me, I’m worried about you+**

**+I <3 you+ **

. 

. 

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-..-.-.-..-.-..-.-..-.-.-..- 

. 

. 

“Oh your back!” Tohru greeted the Zodiac members as they flooded into the house; she had just finished putting away the laundry and wasn’t expecting to come down to such a pleasant surprise. But the troubled looks on some of their faces made Tohru’s smile slip away. 

“Akito... said that he didn’t need to see us for the rest of the day. So now we can hang out here with you.” Yuki told Tohru and had a smile on his lips, but the girl could see that his eye’s held concern. 

“Um, Marley is going to spend the day at the annex, with Akito. She apologizes for not being able to help you with the rest of the laundry.” Yuki relayed Marley’s message; it was the last thing she said before Akito dragged her away to a private room. 

“She what?” Kyo appeared, a towel around his neck as he walked downstairs. 

“I think... Marley wanted us to spend time here, but... She didn’t want to leave Akito alone either.” Momiji explained, and Kyo let out a scoff before disappearing upstairs. 

Tohru looked around the room. She was happy that the Sohma’s were here, but one was missing, and it didn’t seem fair. She realized that Marley must have done this for her, Kyo and Miguel. So that they could enjoy the beach together. Tohru was going to do her best to make sure everyone had fun. 

And Tohru noticed that Hatori and Shigure were not here, so she assumed that meant that they would be with Akito and Marley and that little thought made Tohru feel a bit better about Marley being at the annex. 

. 

. 

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. 

. 

. 

Things were generally peaceful in the annex between the two girls who held high positions in the Sohma family.

The two had played cards, and Marley had lost almost every game, and Akito wondered how one person could have so much bad luck in a simple card game, and Marley’s poker face was non-existent when it came to the game. 

The girl had tried talking Akito into going to the summer house to join everyone, but it had been shot down before Marley could even finish the sentence. So the two stayed indoors, listening to music and sipping on chilled matcha tea served by the maids. 

_Now here you go again_

_You say you want your freedom_

_Well, who am I to keep you down_

_It’s only right that you should_

_Play the way you feel it_

_But listen carefully_

_To the sound of your loneliness_

_Like a heartbeat drives you mad_

_In the stillness of remembering what you had_

_And what you lost_

_And what you had_

And what you lost 

Marley ran a brush through Akito’s short hair as she hummed along to Fleetwood Mac. She was prepping Akito’s hair to be braided, just for fun. Marley noticed Akito’s curious eyes when Marley had braided her own hair and put it up in a cute updo. The white-blonde knew that Akito was too proud to ask and just offered, which made an excited look pop into Akito’s dark eyes. 

As Marley worked, she kept looking down at her phone in case Isuzu texted back. 

She hadn’t yet. 

“You looked like you were having fun earlier...” Akito had been replaying the scene from the beach in her head. Marley and Kyo smiling at each other in broad daylight, how easily Marley put her hands on him and how comfortable they seemed to be with one another. 

It created an ugly feeling in Akito’s chest. 

“On the beach... and you got hit with that wave.” Akito reminded her, and Marley got a small blush on her face. 

“You saw that? Oh man, that was embarrassing. But Kyo was so funny when he was challenging the ocean.” Marley laughed as she combed out Akito’s dark locks. 

“you should have come down and said hi.” Marley said, and Akito didn’t want to get into another conversation about how she should open herself up to new situations and people. 

“Tch, I hate the beach.” Akito scoffed. 

“... then... why did you come?” Marley asked, slightly confused as to why Akito would come all the way from the Sohma Estate to the summer resort if she was just going to stay inside the annex and not enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the resort. 

“Are you not happy that I’m here.” Akito suggested, frustrated that Marley had taken so long in coming up to the annex to see her. 

“It’s not that...I invited you to the summer house, and you said no... but if you hate the beach, then why did you come to this summer resort?” Marley was truly curious as to what brought Akito to the summer resort. Akito gritted her teeth as she couldn’t find anything to say. She knew she couldn’t say that she came here to keep the Zodiacs away from Tohru. Marley would hate her for that... 

“I just don’t understand how you can have so much fun by hanging out with the Ca-” Before Akito could finish, Marley cut her off. 

“Kyo. Yes, I’m always happy when I get to spend time with him. He’s my friend.” Marley had no problem interrupting Akito, but as soon as those last words left her lips, she got a little embarrassed over how cheesy it sounded. 

“You sound like you’re in love with him.” Akito’s voice was a mixture of laughter and disbelief, and Marley felt like a fool. 

“No, no. Kyo is just a really good friend. Though I won’t deny that I might have a crush on him.” Marley tried to keep her voice light, laughing and trying to play it off as nothing but Akito grabbed her by her wrist, studying Marley’s face closely as her grip tightened. 

_Thunder only happens when it’s rainin’_

_Players only love you when they’re playin’_

_Women, they will come, and they will go_

_When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know_

_Oh, thunder only happens when it’s rainin’_

_Players only love you when they’re playin’_

_Say women, they will come and they will go_

_When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know_

_You’ll know_

_You will know_

_Oh, you’ll know_

Akito’s dark eyes were staring deep in Marley’s, and she saw anger but also... fear, and Marley could feel Akito slightly shaking. 

“He’ll never love you. He’s the Cat, and my Zodiac-” Akito was going to continue, but Marley cut her off again and placed her hand on top of the hand Akito had around Marley’s wrist, causing it to soften and slip away. 

“Don’t worry... it’s just a crush. And I know he wouldn’t see me like that.” Marley’s voice broke a little, but she kept going, a sad smile gracing her lips as her large eyes glassed over. Marley sat behind Akito to plait her hair, trying to tell herself that everything was okay. 

“Just as long as you remember your place, you are not one of us.” Akito hoped that would be the end of it, feeling confident that Marley wouldn’t betray her and do something foolish. 

“Don’t worry, it’s hard to forget.” Marley admitted as she swallowed the lump in her throat and willed the tears she had in her eyes to not fall as she continued plaiting Akito’s short hair, placing a pin to keep the braid in place. It had felt like a hand was gripping her heart and giving it a tight squeeze, a sharp painful reminder shaking through her body. 

Marley was always an outsider no matter she went. In the village she was born, she looked too different; being only half Indian made her less than whole in their eyes. In America, her looks and accent made her stick out. And now she was an outsider not just in the Sohma family but in Japanese society. 

The bronze-skinned beauty was still handed the English menu’s in restaurants, even after speaking fluent Japanese with the staff. From how she looked to how she acted, Marley just felt like she would always be; the outsider. 

The girl pretended not to be too bothered by it as she couldn’t help how she looked and knew that the people who mattered would accept her. But it still hurt when she was reminded that someone she had feelings for would most likely never even look at her like that. 

Because she didn’t belong. 

Even so, that didn’t stop Marley from loving the Sohma family members. They brought her so much joy that she wished she could payback. 

Marley thought that maybe Akito and Isuzu thought they were kind by telling her to stop her feelings, but it was only tearing Marley down, and she wished she had kept her feelings to herself. 

The God of the Zodiac watched Marley’s face in the mirror, and it was unmistakable the hopelessness that washed over her. A dark part feels smug as if this was a triumph, but there was another part that nagged at her to take back the words and apologize. This part of her had come up from time to time, begging her to apologize but- 

If The Zodiac loved Marley in Akito’s eyes, that would mean that they had fallen out of love with Akito, which wasn’t possible due to the bond that connected them. 

God and the Zodiacs lived in a world that Marley could never be part of. 

_“Akito... you were a child born to be loved by all of them. Everyone was waiting for you.”_

Akito told herself that she was in the right by making sure Marley knew her place and was saving her from heartbreak down the road, as a Zodiac, especially the Cat, could never love anyone but God as that’s who the Zodiac had been born to love. But Marley’s heartbroken eyes that Akito caught in the mirror made her want to say something that could change that look, but she didn’t know what to do. 

“Look how cute you look!” Marley gushed as she finished the braids, and Akito’s attention was brought back to her own image in the mirror. It was a very girly look for Akito, whose hair usually hung like a mop, and Marley could tell by the way Akito checked herself out that she liked. 

But Marley also knew that Akito would never admit to it. The noticeable blush on Akito’s cheeks was another giveaway. 

“Let’s head to the bath. The annex has a lovely open-air bath, and it’s finally cool enough outside to enjoy it.” Akito suggested, and Marley agreed that a soak in the bath sounded nice before dinner. She hoped that the warm, soothing water would help a bit of the ache she felt in her heart. 

Today had undoubtedly been a rollercoaster for Marley’s emotions. 

. 

. 

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

. 

. 

The members of the Sohma family waited in the living room, some sitting patiently while some paced around the room. 

“What’s up with them?” Miguel asked as he picked at some of the leftover food from dinner. There were lots left as it seemed no one had a big appetite today. 

Kyo had been more agitated than usual. Even when going to the beach with everyone, he only lasted a little while before storming back to the house and had been on the roof since. Tohru had come up to check up on him around dinner, and Kyo did his best not to snap, but it was clear he was worried. 

Tohru looked at the Zodiac members, and it wasn’t hard to recognize that they all seemed to be nervous. Akito weighed heavily on all of them, and she could only assume that they were worried for Marley, who was spending the day with Akito at the annex. 

“I’m sure they’re just excited for Marley-Chan to return.” Tohru said softly as she put together a plate of food and wrapped it up. It was a spare plate for Marley in case she was hungry. 

“Who is this Akito anyway.” Miguel asked, not understanding how one person could change the entire vibe of a room. 

“Akito-San is the head of the Sohma family.” Tohru mentioned, and Miguel just nodded. He had been told that before, but he had been hoping for a bit more insight, so he came up with his own ideas. 

“Must be a pretty big prick then...” Miguel’s words slipped from his tongue so easily, but Tohru’s jaw dropped. Miguel gave her a cheesy smile; he knew what he said, and he got the reaction he’d been hoping for. 

“But I’m sure Marley’s fine right, it’s not like she’s in trouble, right?” Miguel asked while a look of concern crossing his eyes, and Tohru shook her head, not wanting to believe the worst situation. 

“Marley-Chan seems to be good friends with Akito-San. I’m sure they’re having fun.” Tohru smiled and hoped she was right. 

The sound of the front door opened, and it made everyone’s head pop up and stare at the entranceway. There stood the girl who had been on their minds in a pretty purple yukata with geometric patterns and a dark purple obi. 

“Sorry, was I interrupting something?” Marley asked as she noticed everyone’s eyes on her as she slipped off her sandals. 

“Marley-Chan! You look so cute!!” Momiji was quick to bounce right over, and Marley smiled as Momiji took both her hands in his and dragged her over to the living room. 

“Oh, I got to bathe in the onsen at the annex, and the maids were kind enough to layout this yukata for me.” Marley blushed a little as she felt a bit self-conscious in it. Marley tried to divert the attention away from her and asked how their day was. 

“We went to the beach and made sandcastles.” Momiji got excited just talking about it, and Marley gushed and admitted that sounded like so much fun, a little sad that she had missed out on the fun. 

But there was always tomorrow, right? 

Loud footsteps came down the stairs, and everyone looked over to see Kyo coming down and rushing over to Marley, stopping only inches from her. 

“Oh, hello, Kyo.” Marley lightly blushed as he seemed so close to her, she could smell the laundry detergent on his clothes. 

He looked her up and down as if checking for something, and Marley could only blink owlishly, wondering what he was up to. 

“Kyo really missed you, Marley-Chan.” Momiji teased, which led to Kyo telling him to shut up, and the two continued back and forth. Marley couldn’t help but giggle; her heart was in a delicate state but even seeing Kyo was somehow both hard and relief. 

“Um... Would... Would you like to watch a movie Marley-Onee-Chan?” Kisa asked as she took Marley’s hand. 

“Of course, Honey Bee. Let me just slip on some pj’s, and I’ll be right down.” And Marley did just that. She slipped off the traditional clothing and put on an oversized shirt with Whitney Houston’s face on it and some grey shorts. 

When she came back downstairs, everyone was in the living room and waiting for her. Marley felt like everyone was just staring at her, and then when she asked if something was wrong, they would shake their heads and insist everything was fine. 

They found an animated movie to watch, some had seen, and it was new to others. Kisa sat on one side of Marley while Momiji occupied the other empty seat, making themselves comfortable. Marley enjoyed the movie and was happy to be with her dear friends, but her mind wandered. 

_“Just as long as you remember your place, you are not one of us.”_

Things that she knew, but Akito’s words still hurt. 

But as she was surrounded by some of her dear friends, despite not being ‘one of them,’ she still felt their love and knew she was lucky to have them. 

The ending credits rolled by, and Marley looked down at Momiji who’s head laid in her lap, fast asleep. He wasn’t the only one, Kisa had dozed off against Marley’s shoulder, and she only looked down on them with purple eyes filled with fondness. Mostly everyone wished her goodnight before disappearing upstairs to go to bed. 

“You became part of the furniture.” Kyo teased, and Marley softly giggled, careful not to wake the two. 

“I don’t want to wake them; they look so peaceful.” Marley sighed as she ran her hands through Momiji’s soft yellow locks. Hatsuharu came and picked up Kisa with ease and wished everyone goodnight. 

“The Rabbits too old to pull this kind of crap.” Kyo crossed his arms and shook his head, but Marley knew that even Kyo had a soft spot for Momiji. The two seemed like siblings sometimes, Momiji was like a curious younger brother, wanting to know what Kyo was always up to, and Kyo seemed to become more patient.

For the most part, at least... 

“I sometimes forget...He really looks like a child, especially when he’s sleeping like this.” Marley admitted. 

“...fine.” Kyo groaned, and to Marley’s slight surprise, he picked Momiji up without waking him, proving his gentle nature. 

“Don’t tell anyone...” Kyo eyed her, and Marley smiled but put a finger to her lips and motioned that she was crossing her heart. The orange-haired teen rolled his eyes, but Marley was able to catch a small smile. Kyo was so kind, even if Marley knew he would deny it. 

He told her goodnight as he carried Momiji up the stairs and the image of the orange-haired boy gently carrying Momiji left her feeling warm and giddy. Marley fanned her face as if that would make her red cheeks disappear, telling herself to calm down. 

_I wonder if this is how that Yuki fan club feels..._

The white-blonde groaned at her own thought, not wanting to be like the over-zealous girls that placed Yuki on a pedestal and hoped she wasn’t like them. 

And then Marley was alone, and she took a moment to lean back into the soft cushions, collecting her thoughts as she fiddled with her silver locket. After a few deep breathes, she rose from the couch and walked to the kitchen to make herself a small cup of tea. 

While waiting for the water to boil, she again checked her phone. Still, nothing from Isuzu, so Marley sent another text along with a text to Kagura asking if Isuzu was at home. 

“I think they were worried or something...” Miguel’s voice surprised Marley as she thought that she was alone and the kettle went off at the same time, and Marley hurried to take it off the stove 

“Worried?” Marley asked, curious why her friends would be worried about her when they had enough of their problems to worry about. It was true that she kept feeling their gazes on her for most of the evening, but it had stopped after a while. 

The white-blonde just figured that she might have caused a bit of stir by separating the Zodiacs from their God, if only for just a little. But she wanted all her friends to spend some time together, but Akito was stubborn, and she didn’t want to leave Akito on her own, and she felt like that was the best option at the moment. 

Marley admitted that she wasn’t entirely present, she had other things on her mind, and she felt a strain on her heart. And she felt like there was no one to really talk to about it. 

“What’s up with this Akito dude anyway?” Miguel was curious about the mystery surrounding the head of the Sohma clan. He had never met the guy, yet Akito seemed to be trying to ruin his beach vacation. 

“Akito... he’s just different.” Marley made sure to use male pronouns as very few knew of Akito’s secret and didn’t want to be the one to let the secret slip. Miguel raised a brow and asked to explain as he grabbed a soda from the fridge. 

“I think Akito grew up really sheltered...surrounded by people who only saw him as ‘The head of the Sohma Clan.’” Or as ‘God’ but Marley couldn’t mention that. 

“So, he’s a spoiled brat?” Miguel bluntly put, and Marley sighed. 

“Akito can be.” Marley had to admit that Akito’s tantrums reminded her of a young child, and the way the staff catered to her didn’t help. The two could be hanging out, and it only took a moment for Akito to snap, and the look in Akito’s eyes sometimes reminded her of a scared cornered animal, ready to attack to survive. 

She had seen it today when Akito had gripped her wrist and stared her down, warning her not to fall for Kyo. But not due to the curse per se if it were hopeless to fall in love with someone you could never hold. It seemed more like as if... In Akito’s eyes, Kyo belonged to her. 

_But people don’t belong to people..._

The girl knew a little about Akito’s relationship with her parents. Her father had apparently been a kind man but had passed when she young. And then there was Ren Sohma, Akito’s mother, who Akito loathed. Marley had been told that Ren felt the same towards Akito. 

Marley wondered if that was partly why Akito’s bond to the Zodiac meant so much to her because it was the only love she had grown up knowing. 

_So she held on tight in hopes of never being left..._

Akito was God, and the Zodiacs lived for her was what Marley had been told. It didn’t sit right as she believed that the Sohma’s who had been cursed with the Zodiac spirits were people with their own dreams and lives. 

Marley didn’t believe they only lived for their ‘God.’ 

But she had stayed silent as Akito had looked scared as if... if it wasn’t for the curse, then who would Akito be? 

“... I think he’s incredibly lonely.” Marley simply stated as she took out the teabag from her cup and put it in the disposal. 

“How so? The guy seems to have everyone in the palm of his hand or something. He’s had everyone up at the annex.” 

“Sometimes you can be surrounded by people and still feel alone. And I think...” She wanted to mention that Akito’s mother was not the mothering type. Even the brief moment that Marley sat with her, she could tell that something dark and twisted within her, and Marley wondered if Ren had passed that on to Akito. Ren’s decision to have Akito raised a man instead of a woman was still a mystery to Marley, and she felt it had only made Akito misogynistic, but Marley could see that Akito was just...lost. 

And Alone. 

“Its a terrible feeling and... I don’t want anyone in my life to feel that way.” The girl had a small smile on her face, but there were traces of sorrow on her face.

“I just don’t want to see someone take advantage. You’re too forgiving and... I haven’t met the guy but judging by everyone’s reaction to him... Just be careful.” Miguel wished Marley took care of herself more, but he also knew that was just how she was. 

Marley was overwhelmingly kind and open, and it seemed she wore rose-coloured glasses, seeing the world through her optimistic lense. While it was one of the things that made her amazing, it also made her seem naive and vulnerable to people who would take advantage. A part of Miguel knew that if weren’t for her kind nature and her seeing good in him, despite his intimidating look and trouble that followed, then they would have never been friends. 

He was grateful for her ability to see the good in everyone, but that didn’t mean he didn’t worry. What if she was seeing something that wasn’t there? What if this ‘Akito’ took advantage and did something. 

“These guys...they really care about you. It was funny watching them swarm you when you came back.” Miguel was referring to the Sohma’s and Tohru. Marley’s new family and friends, and the more he got to see of them, the better he felt about Marley living here. 

“But you guys still had lots of fun, right?” That was all she wanted; Marley wished she could have been there, but she hadn’t known what else to do in order for the Zodiac members to leave Akito’s side for a bit and join Tohru, Miguel and Kyo. 

“Hell yeah. I wish you had been here but check this out.” Miguel whipped out his phone and showed her some pictures of everyone at the beach. Miguel handed over his phone and let Marley flip through the photos. 

“Check out Tohru’s sandcastle.” Miguel pointed, and Marley paused on the picture. The sandcastle looked more like a few mounds but was decorated with lots of seashells. But what really caught Marley’s attention was Miguel and Tohru’s body language, and her interest had peaked. 

The two looked really cute together, and Marley wanted to say something, but she bit her tongue. Was it okay for her to comment on Miguel’s love life, or would it be considered insensitive? Marley hoped that Miguel’s feelings for her were long gone because she wanted him to move on and find someone truly worthy of him. 

And Tohru’s and Miguel’s height difference was honestly both hilarious and adorable to the white-blonde. She was on board and would down with this ship. 

“.....Soo.. what else did you get up to?” Marley was curious about what else everyone had gotten up to while also reminding herself to keep an eye on her two friends as she was excited for a chance of a romance between two people she cared for. 

“Kisa and Hiro collected seashells and gave them to Tohru to decorate with.” Miguel explained, and Marley was a little surprised as Hiro had not been Tohru’s biggest fan. But she smiled as she thought maybe Hiro was at least trying. 

“Yeah, he didn’t look pleased about it, but Kisa only had to ask him to, and he immediately handed over his shells.” Miguel pointed, and Marley giggled as she knew that Hiro’s weakness was definitely Kisa. 

“And Momiji and I found some hermit crabs, and then the castle became their home for a bit.” Miguel knew that Marley would get a small joy over the tiny crustaceans. 

“Thats adorable, oh my god.” Marley gushed over the little crabs, and she loved the bright smiles everyone in the photo had. Marley was a bit envious that she didn’t get to be there and hoped that maybe tomorrow they could show her how to make sandcastles. 

“Tohru and Momiji are so tiny compared to you.” Marley giggled as she came across a photo of Tohru, Momiji and Miguel’ flexing’ next to the ‘castle.’ They all looked so silly, and Tohru looked to be in a mid-laugh as she tried to copy the muscle man poses Momiji and Miguel were doing. 

“Well, these guns are pretty big.” Miguel did a muscle man pose, and Marley laughed and paused as her mind wandered to a memory. 

“Remember when we took a trip to Santa Monica pier?” Marley asked as she handed the phone back to Miguel. 

“Oh yeah, and your dad ended up in a competition with those muscle beach guys-” Miguel knew precisely what she was getting at. 

“And then Mama was the one who ended up showing them all up and outlasting them in pull-ups.” Marley excitedly brought up, and the two laughed, but it died down, and a wave of sadness crashed over Marley, and Miguel watched as her eyes got glossy. 

“I miss them too.” Miguel admitted, and Marley bit the inside of her cheek as her eyes burned. 

“I just...wish things could be...I wish we could all be together again...” Marley tried to smile, but Miguel felt uneasy and reached out and pulled her into his chest, and Miguel rested his head on top of Marley’s. 

Miguel’s large arms held her, and Marley felt herself give in to the affection that she hadn’t realized she had been missing. Wrapping her arms around his large frame as he rubbed her back. It was nothing romantic, it was only an embrace out of comfort. 

Large brown eyes peeked around the corner and caught sight of the two in the tight embrace, she had only come down since Marley still hadn’t come to bed and was worried, but now, she wishes she had stayed in bed. Tohru’s hand wandered to her heart, and a strange feeling washed over her. It felt... ugly and painful. The girl stepped back and rushed back upstairs, quickly getting into bed, tightly closing her eyes but only seeing Marley and Miguel embrace. 

Tohru knew that the two had a past, but now she wondered who they were to each other now. Were they together? 

Tohru thought back to the time that she, Hana and Uo had spelt over at Marley’s house, and Tohru had seen the picture of Miguel, who looked so handsome. How Uo had asked about the mystery boy, and Marley admitted about their romantic past. 

_“Well...Miguel was my first...” Marley blurted while also lightly blushing._

_“Your first...?” Marley just blushed harder, and the lightbulb went on in Uo’s head...and then all hell seemed to break loose._

_“OH MY GOD! I thought you were just gonna say you guys kissed or something.” Uo was practically shaking Marley back and forth and then stopped suddenly when she had another realization._

_“HE WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE YOU HICKIES!” Uo laughed as she remembered a recent conversation about Marley’s past romances, where she had kept a tight lid._

_“But man, what a hottie.” Uo whistled, looking at the photo that Tohru still held in her hands._

The image of the two of them popped up in her mind. They made a very beautiful couple as to Tohru; both Marley and Miguel looked like they had walked off a movie set, and it made Tohru feel self-conscious. 

_A rice ball in a fruit basket..._

Only a few moments later, the door to the room opened again, and Tohru pretended to be asleep as the bed shifted as Marley gently got under the covers. The only sound in the room was the soft snores of Kisa and Marley as Tohru wrested with her thoughts. 

The tight feeling in her chest wouldn’t leave as Tohru tried to get to sleep. She could only hope that the morning, that ugly feeling would disappear. 

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- 

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“Today was interesting.” Smoke slipped through the Dog’s lips as he stared out into the foliage; the summer evening was calm; they could even hear the waves of the ocean breaking into the beach. 

“I hoped the kids had a good time.” Hatori thought of how shocked the young Zodiacs members had looked when Marley showed up, and Akito said that they could go back to the summer home before draping herself over Marley and pulling her into a room. 

“Akito seemed happy for a bit. Didn’t even complain about the food....” It had been a tranquil day, which was surprising since Shigure thought that Akito would be more hostile with the Zodiac’s spending the day with Tohru instead. But Marley proved to give Akito all the attention she craved, and Shigure would be lying if he said that didn’t frustrate him. 

“I wish you didn’t look so disappointed about that.” Hatori put out the last bit of his cigarette. 

The two heard the sound of rushed footsteps from the hallway and forced open a sliding door with surprising speed. The God looked down at the Zodiac members who waited for what she would say. 

“Bring Kyo tomorrow.” That was all she said before slamming the doors shut. 

“... Is this a sign we’re in for some nasty weather?” Shigure grinned, and Hatori wished he had made better friends in his teen years. 

“You’re actually enjoying this, aren’t you?” Hatori judged his fellow Zodiac member as he got up from his seat to turn in for the night. The doctor wasn’t sure what Shigure was hoping for, but he hoped that no one got hurt due to whatever he was scheming. 

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Well... next chapter is going to be... I'm both nervous and excited to get to it lol wish me luck.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and thank you for your patience. There is a lot of chaos happening in the world and I hope this chapter helps you escape it if only for a moment.
> 
> Big thank you to bubblegumnnebula for looking over the chapter and helping me fix a few things <3 
> 
> Please leave a comment if you're enjoying, they really do bring a smile to my face to know that someone out there is enjoying my fanfic also peep my tumblr for a pic of Marley done by artist loonylein


	15. It's So Clear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs seen in this chapter:  
>  Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks

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_When did it begin..._

_When did I start searching you out..._

_Looking your way just to catch the light of your smile..._

_Wanting to be the reason for that smile..._

_When did I start thinking such Idiotic things like that?_

_Why does it hurt so much to think..._

_That there could be a future where your presence could disappear from my life..._

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Monotone rings filled Marley's ears as she waited for someone to pick up, feeling slightly anxious as she had woken up to new messages from Isuzu or Kagura about Isuzu. The worried teen had a few people she could call, and if they didn't answer, she was ready to head home to make sure her friend was safe.

The phone rang a few more times while Marley held her breath.

"Moshi Moshi." A bubbly voice picked up.

"Ah, Kagura!"

"Marley-Chan?" The college girl was surprised to be getting a call, especially since she knew Marley and many of the Zodiac members were at the summer house.

"I tried texting you, but you never texted back." Marley had gotten worried and even had trouble sleeping, waking up at random points to check her phone for any texts from Isuzu or Kagura. Due to the poor sleep, she had ended up sleeping in a bit.

"I dropped my phone and broke it." Kagura giggled, and Marley had a feeling that wasn't the case at all; she could just picture the temperamental boar breaking her phone in the middle of a tantrum.

"Is Isuzu home?" Marley asked, trying not to sound too worried as to not alert Kagura.

"She got in this morning..." At this, Marley felt a wave of relief wash over her, and she was grateful that at least Isuzu was back at the Estate.

"Do you need to talk to her? I think she's sleeping, though." Kagura asked, and Marley said that it was okay and that she would text Isuzu later when she was up. Isuzu was such a secretive person and wondered if she didn't want others knowing that she had been at the beach resort.

Kagura didn't seem too suspicious and dropped the subject when Marley asked her how the Estate was and if there was anything new. The two girls talked for a but before Kagura got called away, and Marley wished her a good day.

"You too. And tell Kyo-Kun I love him!" Kagura then hung up the phone, and Marley stared down at the ended call screen.

As she looked out, she noticed Kyo running up the path. She noticed that he always seemed to up early for a run and was slightly mystified how he didn't run with music. Marley went back into the room as Kisa was getting ready to go downstairs.

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"Everything alright, Onee-Chan?" Kisa asked as she noticed a bit of a faraway look in the usually cheerful teenager. Marley tilted her head and said she was fine before asking Kisa why she thought something was wrong.

"You looked worried on the phone... and when you stopped talking, you looked a little sad when you were staring at it." Kisa pointed on while she played with the hem of her light blue dress.

"Ah, yes, everything's fine. I was just checking in on a friend. Now come one, let's help Tohru with breakfast." Marley took her hand, and Kisa nodded, excited to have breakfast and help her big sisters.

As they walked down the hallway, they ended up coming across Kyo, who looked like he was on his way to shower.

"Good Morning Kyo." Marley greeted, and he nodded his head, mumbling a 'mornin" to her.

"Go... Good morning.." Kisa said shyly as her hand slightly clutched on Marley's large T-Shirt.

"Still shy, huh, Munchkin?" Kyo sighed, and Marley just shrugged

"It's the quiet ones you gotta be wary of, don't you know? You never know when they're going to strike!" Marley swiftly picked up Kisa making her squeak and break into laughter with Marley as she was tickled a bit.

"You just getting up?" Kyo gestured to Marley's pj's, and she blushed a little before letting out an embarrassed giggle and put Kisa back down on the ground.

"Yeah, kept looking at my phone all night and paid for it. How was your run?" The white-blonde was feeling almost a little guilty oversleeping in, hoping she didn't pay for missing her morning jog or morning stretch.

A day of rest now and then should be fine...and I can always do some light stretching a little after breakfast.

"S'fine, too damn hot, though, and it's not even 9." Kyo complained as he rolled his neck a bit, stretching it out. Marley agreed that it certainly was pretty hot considering how early it was but mentioned that a dip in the ocean would help. Kyo rolled his eyes and insisted that there was no way he was going in the water.

"Oh... Kagura says hi." Marley couldn't find it in herself to relay the whole message but had to at least extend the greeting.

"Is she here?" Kyo seemed to jump out of his skin as he looked around, and Marley was a little surprised over the reaction and quickly told him that she was just on the phone with Kagura.

"You were ready to straight-up run away." Marley commented, and Kyo ran a hand through his hair, still looking a little on edge.

"She's crazy. She's always clinging to me and talking about how much she loves and marriage." Kyo groaned, and Marley wasn't sure how to react.

There was a mixed feeling in her chest. Marley felt sad for Kagura because even though she was undoubtedly eccentric, Marley believed she really did care for Kyo and... she felt almost sorry for Kagura over Kyo's reaction to her. Marley also couldn't help but wonder...

Would Kyo treat me like that if-

Marley felt a little tug and looked down to see Kisa's bright eyes trying to send her a message.

"Ah, we should go help Tohru with breakfast. See you down there." Marley passed Kyo with a small smile on her face and let Kisa lead her on by the hand.

Kyo wondered about the slightly apprehensive look in Marley's eyes when Kagura was brought up.

_What are you hiding?_

Kyo tried not to feel annoyed over it, figuring it was none of his business, but as he got ready to shower, he couldn't help but wonder what it was.

_Why wasn't your smile reaching your eyes? And why does it piss me off?_

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Breakfast flew by, and once again, the Zodiac members, except for Kyo, all left for the annex. The summer trip to the beach resort was coming to an end soon, and while Marley had made some wonderful memories, she was not expecting all the separation.

She took a deep breath and went deeper into her stretch, hoping that it would make her feel a little better.

"Marley-Chan, got a minute?" A voice surprised Marley as she opened her eyes and looked up to see an almost mischievous smile on the Dog of the Zodiac.

"Shigure? Welcome back." Marley asked as she practically jumped up from her stretching pose on the carpet, looking around Shigure's figure to see if the rest had returned too.

"Not here for long, I forgot something...Kyo-Kun." Shigure called out to the boy who had just been relaxing on the couch.

"Huh?" The orange-haired teen didn't even open his eyes. He was just hoping Shigure would leave him alone.

"Akito-San asked me to bring you to the annex. Sorry, I'll be taking him today." The adult didn't seem all that sorry, but the news was certainly a surprise to the teens.

"What?!" The two teens seem to be in sync, and Kyo jumped up from his spot on the couch in surprise. Shigure was a little amused and smirked a little.

"What the hell is-" Kyo didn't get to finish as glittering purple eyes were in his face, looking at him with excitement.

"This is wonderful. Kyo, you get to join the others." Marley had grasped Kyo's hands in hers, gripping them softly as her eyes stared into his.

"I'm so happy for you. You'll get to be together." Marley's joy was genuine, and her eyes were shining bright. Kyo looked down at their hands, and even though he thought that he probably should be happy, he got summoned.

He didn't want to leave.

But Marley was so happy for him, and he had to go. So, he slipped his hands from hers and gave a soft pull to a loose hair that had escaped her braid, watching it uncurl and let go letting it bounce and return to its soft curl.

"Be good...wait for me to get back." Kyo's voice made Marley's stomach do backflips, but she only smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Safe travels." Marley walked the two to the front door to see them off.

"I'm just walking up the road... would hardly call it travelling." Kyo sighed, but his smile was unmistakable, feeling a warmth in his chest over the way she chirped 'of course' and smiled so kindly.

"She's so happy for you." Shigure teased.

"You can shut up. Nothing good will come of it anyway." Kyo scoffed, the chip on his shoulder showing.

"Oooh, so scary." The adult was enjoying teasing the boy as they continued down the path. Kyo only looked back and saw Marley smiling from the patio, giving a little wave, and Kyo nodded back, hoping that whatever this was wouldn't take too long.

Marley was already looking around the house to share the news with her friend, who knew would be just as happy over Kyo being invited by Akito to the annex.

"Tohru!" Marley found her upstairs in their shared room, looking through a bag.

"Huh!" Tohru nearly jumped out of her skin, surprised by Marley's sudden outburst.

"Kyo got invited!" The white-blonde gushed, and Tohru dropped the clothes she was holding in her hands.

"What?!"

"Akito summoned Kyo to join the others." Marley explained, and Tohru's eyes lit up as she rushed over to Marley to share her excitement.

"Thats wonderful!" Tohru expressed, and Marley rapidly nodded her head.

"Oh my god, that's what I said." The girls then giggled a bit.

"I hope they're having a good time!" Marley had been hoping that Akito would invite Kyo. While she wishes it had been sooner, she was happy it happened at all.

"Maybe even a banquet."

Both girls were just overwhelmingly happy for their friend and hoped that all the Zodiacs were enjoying themselves.

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Kyo was made to wait in another room at the annex, still being kept separate from everyone. Time seemed to move slowly, and it felt like some sort of sick power move.

_Why summon me just to make me wait... this is bullshit._

The boy was ready to storm out and just head back, but Marley's smile over how he had been summoned kept him there. He couldn't go back and tell her he just sat in a room till he left.

So he waited... until finally Shigure came and collected him, telling the Cat that God was ready to see him.

"What? What's this about? Don't tell me Akito... summoned Kyo?" Yuki asked as he watched Shigure and Kyo walk down the hall towards him.

"That's exactly it. Kyo-Kun, Akito-San is in the inner chamber. Go on it."

As Kyo passed Yuki, he was not afraid to repeat himself.

"I'll warn you again. Don't be an idiot and lose your temper in front of Akito." Yuki scolded, and Kyo's temper flared as he wound up to throw a punch at his rival.

"SHUT UP, YOU SON OF A-!" Kyo roared and swung, stopping his fist only a fraction away from Yuki's face.

The two had a staredown, and Kyo finally broke it and threw his fist at the wall instead before storming down the hallway.

"... You should have tussled with him like normal."

"Please... Enough. Both he and I should accept... that this is just the way we're made."

"In the end... that's all we are." A small smile graced Yuki's lips as he gazed down at the hardwood floor.

Down the hall, Kyo slid open the door to the inner chamber where Akito was residing.

There God was, sitting by an open window.

"Welcome... it's been a long time since we've spoken face to face..." A soft voice called out to Kyo, but there was no warmth in it, and Kyo found himself hovering in the doorway, not wanting to enter the room.

"It's alright. Come in...my pathetic monster."

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Just as Marley and Tohru had set out to do, the trio had made an impressive fortress of a sandcastle, complete with a moat. Miguel had even wandered off a brought back few hermit crabs to live in the castle.

Marley and Tohru cooed and awed as Miguel jokingly named the one with a lightly tinted purple shell Marley and the white and yellow crab Tohru. There was something charming and wholesome about the girls working so seriously on the castle and discussing whether the hermit crabs enjoyed it or not.

"I saw what looked like an abandoned food shack down the way." Miguel said as he sat back down on the blanket, letting the girls do the little details on the sandcastle.

"Yeah, this beach used to be really popular years ago apparently, now it's quieted down."

"That s too bad. The beach could use like a burger shack or something."

The two English speakers then got into a fast-paced conversation, and Tohru felt her head spinning. It wasn't until her name was called that she finally understood a word. Or at least she thought she understood.

"Tohru, Have you ever had taco's?" Miguel asked, and the brunette's mind immediately went to octopus and then wondered if Miguel had meant takoyaki.

"Tako? Like takoyaki?" Tohru pictured the little fried dough balls filled with octopus pieces and topped with delicious okonomiyaki sauce and bonito flakes.

"No um, it's like...a wrap and then filling inside, and there's like a bunch of different kinds... it's kind of like a sushi roll." Marley tried to explain, but if anything, she made Tohru more confused, and Miguel laughed at the cute look of confusion on Tohru's face.

"They use to have that great taco truck around the corner from your apartment complex." Miguel turned to Marley, and she nodded her head as she began to remember the bright yellow truck that she and Miguel would get late-night tacos when Marley was getting back late from ballet.

"Soooo good. They had this one with the jalapeno crème and the roasted cauliflower." Marley gushed while Miguel made a grimace as he was not a fan of the vegetarian options, and a part of him pitied Marley for not having the chorizo or the steak taco that was his favourite.

"It sounds amazing." Tohru honestly had no idea what the two were talking about, but it certainly sounded delicious.

"I wonder if there's any good Mexican places..." Miguel brought out his phone and tried typing into a search bar, but it seemed to end in disappointment. She wondered if he was feeling homesick since she was sure Japan was so different from America and wanted to make it better. Tohru hated seeing that frown and tried to think of a way to fix it.

"Probably not around here... there might be a few places in the city but nothing like back in Vegas." Marley had tried one or two 'Mexican fusion' places, and while it wasn't bad or anything, it indeed hadn't tasted authentic.

"Maybe we could make some 'tacos.' Do you know how they're made?" Tohru asked, curious of what they would taste like.

Marley remembered something she had seen on YouTube recently and an idea popped into her head as the three sat there.

"Tohru, your brilliant!" The white-blonde looked like a light bulb and gone off

"I-I am?"

"Let's open one!" Marley announced, and both Miguel and Tohru looked at Marley a little confused, but she was already on her feet, slipping on her shorts and heading back to the house, telling the other two to come along.

Marley carried the large beach bag over her shoulder, flipping through her phone. They hadn't been able to make all the memories together like she had maybe thought initially but wanted to make the most out of the trip.

And a part of her had wanted to try something she had seen and couldn't wait to welcome home everyone with the surprise. She was missing them but looked forward to everyone's smiles when they came back.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

.

"The bet you made with me...about whether you could beat Yuki? Admit it, it's impossible, isn't it?" Akito smugly asked, but Kyo remained silent, standing in the middle of the room and staring back at Akito. Dark eyes watched, and God's mind was brought back to Marley and just couldn't understand what she saw in the Cat of the Zodiac.

_The most cursed of the Zodiac... a monster_

"He's out of your league, right? You can't beat him?" Akito teased the Cat, enjoying the look of frustration on his face. Akito needed to put him in place and make him realize he had no chance and that he was foolish to think so.

"You'll never be able to beat him... Didn't I tell you? From the very beginning, the Cat has never been able to beat the Rat. It how you were made." Dark eyes watched as Kyo clenched his fist.

_My fate..._

"To the end of your days, you shall never beat Yuki. You were made like that from the start. Its destiny is carved out from those who are possessed by the spirits of the Zodiac. That fate is in your blood." God smirked, and Kyo felt like a fool for having faith in the bet, the bet that could have saved him from his cursed fate.

_My curse..._

"I told you that before, remember?" Kyo was brought back to when he returned from the mountains last fall, and he and Akito spoke. He had taken Akito by his collar and vowed to prove him wrong.

_"Wrong! That fate...screw it!" Kyo proclaimed, determined to prove everyone wrong._

_"I'll crush it!" He needed to._

_"I SWEAR I'LL BEAT YUKI! I'LL BEAT HIM... I'LL WIN!" The Orange-haired teen was yelling at the top of his lungs as if the louder he was, his words would become more real._

_"Then... Shall we make a bet out of it? If you can truly beat Yuki by the time you graduate..." God offered the choice, and Kyo felt himself freeze as he waited for Akito to continue._

_"I'll stop calling you a monster. I'll even let you become part of the Zodiac." It was almost too good to be true, and he couldn't believe what he was hearing._

_"But...if you can't beat him... Then you'll be imprisoned until the day you die." Akito's smile was twisted and ugly even, and Kyo's fingers let go of his collar, stepping back, the weight of those words staying with him._

"It looks like... I'm going to win that bet.." Akito smiled, and Kyo wanted to punch that smug look off their face.

"You don't get to just decide that! I still got time... You don't... know what's gonna happen!" Kyo argued, and Akito ripped the wind chime down, cradling it in his hand.

"...Which one of us... Doesn't know what is going to happen...?" Akito mused as he looked at the wind chime, his irritation growing. God couldn't understand why everyone seemed to be so defiant. Kyo went to speak again, but Akito threw the wind chime, and it hit the boy's cheek, the bells of the wind chime ringing as they made contact with Kyo's cheek before falling to the floor.

"Why can't you understand?" How is it possible? Have you forgotten?" Akito rose from the window sill, the kimono slipping on one shoulder as they walked across the tatami mat to Kyo.

"How it is you so deluded? You do remember... don't you? That you're a monster. And that your mother died... Because you're a monster." Akito's words slipped out so easily as if they weren't words of hurt that felt like a stab to Kyo's gut.

"Wha...Th..that ain't" Kyo tried to defend himself, but he was shaking because he carried that guilt with him.

"It is true." Akito walked closer, and Kyo wanted to run, but he couldn't.

"No... It's no my fault." The Cat

"You murdered your own mother." Akito's hand gripped Kyo's wrist, and he recoiled from the touch, but Akito easily held on.

"Stop it! STOP IT! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Kyo hissed and tried to rip his arm away, but Akito simply glared, and his voice dropped, a warning to Kyo.

"You don't give me orders." And Kyo stilled in Akito's grip. It felt he was being strangled like chains were wrapping around him. Trapping him.

"I feel so sorry for her...she gave birth to a monster in human clothing yet bravely protected it..raised it...but in the end she died, unable to endure it any longer. And now, her own son doesn't mourn her death." Akito's voice was soft, but again... there was no warmth.

The image of Kyo's birth father entered his mind, his hateful eyes.

_"Kyo..do you know..how your mother felt?"_

_"That was no accident. It was suicide. She killed herself! And it's your fault!"_

_Nightmares of his mother walking away from him into a bright light where young Kyo could not follow, only able to hold out his hand and beg her to come back._

"Do you have any idea how hard you made it for her? Can a monster like you even understand that?!" The adult yelled at the young boy, who could only clench their small fist and glared at the ground.

Just like he was doing now... it has been so many years, but Kyo felt like he was still stuck in that same place.

"You should have died instead. No matter how you look at it...everyone would have been happier if you'd never been born." Akito's words were not far at all from the words Kyo had told himself.

_I killed her...I..._

The image of a woman's body bathed in blood on the pavement crossed Kyo's mind.

"STOP IT!" Kyo's voice was strained as he wasn't even telling Akito to stop.

He was begging.

"...stop it.. Enough... stop it... Please" Kyo honestly didn't know how much more he could take as he faltered to his knees, and Akito just stared, a small smile as those cold eyes looked down on the Cat.

"I've been thinking...I wonder if she knows...Would she speak so fondly if she knew what you had done?" Akito contemplated, and there was only one 'her' that appeared in Kyo's mind.

_No...she can never know..._

"It's almost impressive how deluded she is, even after seeing your true form.." God couldn't even look at the Cat's true form and never imagined touching it.

Kyo's eyes stared into Marley's as she finally found him, she was drenched from the rain, mud all along the bottom of her large skirt, and her eyes frozen in fear as she realized that Kyo was the large creature she had found. Kyo's heart stopped as he feared the worst, and she just stepped forward, still calling his name.

"Much too kind... Any normal person would flee if they saw you in that form, yet Marley clung to you, I heard." Akito was disgusted by the very thought.

"She must really pity you...Or perhaps... she's just a fool." Akito figured, and Kyo couldn't take anyone calling Marley a fool.

_Don't talk about her like that._

"It's honestly annoying how kind she is to everyone... it almost seems fake. Is she that desperate for friendship? For love?" Akito pondered, and Kyo could see the disgust in those dark eyes of God, and he couldn't understand.

"How... Can you say that about her?" Kyo finally found his voice as he got up from the floor. He couldn't just sit there and take Akito dragging Marley's name through the mud like that.

"You weren't there. You don't know anything about that night. You weren't born a monster...You don't have..." The night would always stay with Kyo as it had been one of the worst nights of his life, but it had become the night that Kyo realized how much he was fighting for.

The dark and stormy night that Marley had spent tracking him down, how he had pushed her away... and how she had come back, bloody shoulder and all with tears glistening in those determined amethyst eyes.

She was trembling, but she wouldn't leave.

".. the faintest idea of how scared she was that day! So how can you say that about her!" Kyo yelled, every moment of that night playing through his mind.

_Her body... Was quivering... Her nails digging into my skin as she held on tight as tears flowed down her cheeks._

Maybe it was desperate... but not in the way Akito meant...

"But she held on! She didn't run away from me-" Kyo needed Akito to listen, but God turned away.

"Ugh, shut up.." Akito hated talking about this and regretted even bringing up Marley as it felt like it had backfired.

"SHE DIDN'T LET GO-" Kyo continued, and Akito covered his ears, his body shaking as he gritted his teeth.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! AHHHHH!" God yelled, not wanting to hear anything more but Kyo wouldn't stop.

"SHE HELD ON TO MY ARM-" Kyo stopped when he realized how important that moment was,

_Cos' she knew if she let go... I probably... wouldn't return..._

_She held on...even though she was scared..._

_"LET GO!" Kyo used his strength to swing his arm with her on it, but Marley just latched on even harder as Kyo tried to shake her loose; her body dragged on the ground as she held on, her nails digging in._

_"NO! I WON'T LET GO!" She yelled back and even managed to lift her face and stared at Kyo directly. The determined look in her large amethyst eyes made Kyo pause, tears were rushing down her face, and her body was shaking._

_She was clearly terrified, but she only held the tighter and stared at him, as if daring him to try and push her away again._

_"Please... stop it... try... don't you understand dammit.." He begged her as he turned away from her intense eyes, and she only tugged harder to his arm to try and make him listen to her._

_"Mainu samaj nahi laggi!" She yelled at him, not backing down._

_"Mainnu maaf karo... samaj nahi laggi... main.." She started mumbling, but it was something Kyo couldn't understand._

_"I'm scared Kyo...right now..but... I'm also relieved... I thought... I thought.. you had gone away... but I found you... I hear your voice. I know it's you, even if... even if your voice is coming from this form I've never seen before... I know you're in there.. and you're alive... I'm so thankful," Marley admitted as she dug her face back into Kyo's arm. He could feel her warm tears through his skin._

_"I'm so pathetic... your right... I'm.. just an outsider who doesn't know what's going on or what this means, and it scares me... but not as much as ... not as much as the thought of never seeing you again. So please! Please help me understand..." She begged as she cried into Kyo's skin. The boy could feel her entire body shaking as she held on. Marley was terrified, he could tell, but she wasn't letting Kyo go._

_If she had let go... I might not have come back..._

_It wasn't as if she took all my pain. It ain't like she solved all my problems either. That crap ain't important. The most important thing..._

The white-blonde grabbed his arm and pulled him along the sidewalk, wanting to share with him her favourite ramen place, her cheeks still flushed from dancing. It had been the day that he had visited Kyoko's grave with the others and was plagued by guilt, and while Marley didn't prod him much, she knew something was up and was simply...

_... there for me_

Like a movie made for him, memories of Marley flooded his mind, from her eating her homemade lunch under a tree in the schoolyard as she listened to music, offering him an earbud and patiently answering anything he wanted to know about the song.

_Always wanting to share everything she has with those around her..._

Some students got the sight of the deserts Marley had made and immediately offered them up to try, looking so happy when they enjoyed them, and Kyo had to take the box away from them before they ate every last one.

_Crying over almost anything..._

Kyo had to pass Marley a tissue as a sad commercial played on the T.V, and the boy could already see the tears fill her eyes. She tried to turn away and hide, but he simply told her to give up and just cry already.

_Her tender heart, her vulnerable heart..._

Even when she was clearly exhausted, she would mention she was excited to help Kisa with something having to do with ballet.

Even when Akito had arrived and tried to ruin the summer vacation, Marley was trying to make sure everyone could have a good time. Even if it meant missing out on hanging out with the Zodiac members as she kept Akito occupied basically.

_Always worried about everyone else's feelings...What about her?_

Kyo would catch the faraway look in her eyes now and then, her face turning to a space where no one stood and looking disappointed. She still looked for them even though she knew they were gone.

_She worries she's not enough... that she has to work harder... doesn't she realize she's..._

Marley was practicing a dance routine, and she would fall a few times now and then, but she would get back and try again, proving her love and determination for the art, making it look beautiful.

_Breathtaking_

_Why is she always wanting to include me in everything?_

Marley was talking about some sort of show that Kyo had never seen but was making all these hand gestures and talking so fast that Kyo would hardly keep up, but she was so excited, and it made him excited.

Marley teaching him how to make sweets she used to make with her grandmother, smiling fondly as she compared the colour of the sweet to his bright hair.

_Doesn't she realize... that nothing good can come from hanging out with me?_

Marley's smiling face as she stared up at him from the water as he hung out on the rocks.

How excited she got when Kyo told her about the beetle she had found.

Her laughter as he made fun of her 'cat' pancake and then tried to make more.

_Why..is that when I close my eyes..._

"KYO!" She tried to get mad at him as he sabotaged her win at a racing game, but she just laughed and promised to get him back next time.

"Kyo.." She said his name softly as she thanked him for helping her clean the dishes, her eye's dazzling in the afternoon light.

Tears started to spill from Kyo's eyes as it all became so clear.

_I love you..._

_I love all that you are_

_I love you so much._

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

Marley had been at work setting up and had even fashioned up a sign on a large piece of blank cardboard she had found along with some paints. The storage room had been like a treasure trove, she had found some pretty interesting things, and there was one thing in particular that she wanted to ask Shigure and Hatori about.

"Hopefully, they'll be able to come to the house..." Marley spoke aloud to herself and made a mental note to text them and invite them over for dinner.

_Hopefully, everyone will come home, and we can enjoy this together._

The optimistic teen carried light blue lawn furniture from the storage room to the backyard, setting up a few tables and chairs. She even found some mason jars and placed one on each table along with a few flowers she had picked from the garden.

"I wonder if I could find some tea lights... that would be perfect," Marley spoke to herself as she tried to think of how to make it better.

She had sent Miguel and Tohru into the town to pick up groceries so they could cook up some Mexican food. Marley figured they would make a good team as Miguel had a good eye for what ingredients they would need, and Tohru would communicate since Miguel's Japanese was still pretty limited. But Marley admitted he had picked up the language pretty well.

Another reason Marley sent them off was maybe the slightest bit of meddling. Did sending them on an errand alone count as a date?

"Does... sending them on an errand date count as mischief?" She asked herself, thinking of how Kyo told her

_I hope Kyo is having a good time with everyone..._

_What if they got back late... what if they didn't even like it..._

Marley shook her head, telling herself to remain positive and thought some music would help bring her mood back up and make the project a bit more fun. She hooked up her phone through the Bluetooth and scrolled through her playlists.

"I haven't heard this one in a while..." Marley talked to the air as her hand automatically drifted to her locket and gave it a soft squeeze before letting go and lightly pressing on the Stevie Nicks tune.

The girl smiled and clicked on the song, and even just hearing the first few notes made her smile broaden, and her body reacted to the melody, swaying and twirling to the upbeat classic that her parents use to blast.

_Just like the white winged dove_

_Sings a song_

_Sounds like she's singing_

_Ooh baby, ooh, said ooh_

_Just like the white winged dove_

_Sings a song_

_Sounds like she's singing_

_Said ooh baby, ooh, said ooh_

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

.

Tohru watched the coastline as she sat on the bus. It was a gorgeous sight, but she had other things on her mind. The week had been filled with surprises. She had been able to meet the Horse of the Zodiac, Isuzu, and wondered who the remaining Rooster could be.

But another thought was still plaguing her.

The image of Marley and Miguel standing in the dim light of the kitchen, his large warms wrapping around her as she seemed to melt into his embrace.

Marley had been the one to send her and Miguel on the grocery trip, almost eagerly pushing them out of the house and telling them to have a good time.

Which they did. Miguel had tried his best to speak with the locals, even agreeing to let them take pictures of him since they got excited over a foreigner. The kind boy had even convinced her to let him buy her ice cream, and it was the most delicious ice cream she had ever had.

It was a great day.

But Tohru still thought about Marley and Miguel and even worried that maybe Migue would have rather been there with the white-blonde.

It was like... that same painful squeeze Tohru had felt last night.

"You alright? Want me to take those?" Miguel asked as he referred to the bag of groceries on Tohru's lap.

"I'm fine. You already have two bags. I can take care of this one." Tohru insisted, and Miguel shrugged as he leaned back into the bus seat.

"I hope we got enough groceries. Marley-Chan really seemed excited; makes me special just by being involved." Tohru admitted, thinking of the look in Marley's eyes as she tried to explain her idea and wrote down a bunch of stuff on a paper before asking Tohru and Miguel to go into town.

Tohru swore she could see a slightly mischievous smile on her lips as Marley insisted that it be Tohru and Miguel go into town, but the brunette wondered if maybe she just imagined things.

"She has that effect. We just have to make sure she lets us help." Miguel knew that Marley tended to try and do things herself when it came to cooking. It was honestly surprising to see Tohru and Marley cooking together in the kitchen.

"She's really excited, though! I bet whatever it is, it'll be lots of fun." Tohru smiled at Miguel, and he nodded.

The bus came to a stop, and an older woman got on the bus. Tohru was ready to give up her seat, but Miguel was quicker and quickly offered his bus seat to the senior.

It was very sweet hearing his simple Japanese, and the older woman was impressed that a foreigner so far from the city could speak it and complimented him. He just waved it off and mentioned he had a long way to go and had an excellent teacher helping him out as he sent a wink to Tohru.

"What a handsome boy. You two make a cute couple." The elderly woman teased, and it immediately had Tohru's face bright red.

"Wha-I-I-I." Her eyes travelled up to Miguel, who was standing there, absently looking through his phone.

"Oh, and all the fresh groceries, are you having a banquet?" The granny eyed the supermarket bag that the two teenagers were carrying.

"Ah, yes. I'm going to learn how to make 'taco's." And Tohru excitedly explained all she had been told, and the granny nodded as the polite girl happily spoke about Marley's plan and that they were making food that her two friends from America enjoyed.

"My husband was from overseas, and I remember when I tried to learn his favourite meal that his mother used to make him as a child. I'm sure it tasted nothing like his mother made it, but he always had the biggest smile on his face and made me fall back in love with him all over again." The old woman let out a dreamy sigh, and Tohru felt her heart warm over such a sentiment.

Tohru peeked up at Miguel, who was staring over at some kids who were staring at him. They seemed to be in a staring contest of some kind, and Miguel stuck his tongue out, and the kids giggled. Miguel appeared intimidating; he was indeed a teddy bear at heart, and Tohru enjoyed seeing it come to light. Her heart beating a little faster when Miguel looked over and caught her staring a winked at her.

"Ah, to be young." The elderly woman sighed as she caught the interaction and was wishing the best to the two teenagers.

"Eh?" Tohru asked, wondering what she had meant, but the woman shook her head and told her to just ignore it.

"Nothing, not for me to meddle, but you'll figure it out soon, dearie."

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

In a dark room deep inside the Sohma annex, a teenage boy was coming to a realization that had him lost in these thoughts as his body seemed to be frozen to the spot. A pair of amethyst eyes surrounded by thick lashes was the only thing on his brain, eyes that made his heart race, especially when it was accompanied by the soft smile that only she could give.

_When did I start feeling like my name had a special chime to it whenever you called out to me?_

_"Good morning, Kyo." Marley greeted him as he walked towards his desk that was just behind her's. She was there before anyone else as she completed the last bit of her homework. Kyo told her not to stop procrastinating her homework, and Marley laughed, insisting it the days' fault for being too short._

_She's so clueless sometimes..._

_"Kyo! You're going to get a farmer's tan." Marley pointed out as he continued to wear a T-shirt and even lifted up the sleeve a bit of his shirt to show him. He had rolled his eyes and pointed out she probably was going to have some tan lines too. She tilted her head and then right before Kyo's eyes adjusted her bikini bottoms so she could unashamedly see her tan lines._

_"Don't do that here, WEIRDO!" Kyo scolded, his entire face red as his eyes had wandered to her hipbones; even when he covered his eyes, he had to tell himself not to be peak and be a pervert._

_"Aww, but I just wanted to see if I had any! Come one, Kyo, who has the worse tan line, me or you?" Marley asked as if it was such an innocent question._

_When did I start doing dumb stuff over and over again as long as I knew... it might make you laugh?_

_Marley was showed him a funny picture she and Tohru had taken using a filter on some sort of phone app, and she seemed so amused with it. The curious foreigner had been looking through funny filters and asked Kyo to take a selfie with her, and Kyo gave in, and now his phone was filled with silly pictures of the two._

_It had made her happy._

_Kyo's favourite was the cat ear's one, but he would never admit that._

_When did I start...loving you so much that I couldn't stand it... Marley..._

"Are you crying? Kyo...Why are you crying?" Akito tilted his head as he watched the boy's tears flow down his cheeks.

"Are you upset? Could it be... you in 'love' with Marley?" Akito asked, and Kyo just stayed silent, still in his own head.

"Oh, that would just be... marvellous! The monster in love with the fool." Akito snickered, and Kyo was brought back and glared up at Akito.

"What's that look for? That look in your eyes?" Akito hated it; God should never be looked at like that.

Not with those eyes. Akito hated that look.

"THIS ISN'T MY FAULT! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S DELUDED!" Akito yelled as he brought his hand up and slapped Kyo across the cheek.

"SHE'S JUST AN OUTSIDER! SHE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE IN YOUR THOUGHTS! SHE IS NOTHING!" Akito yelled, and Kyo felt the stinging sensation on his other cheek as Akito slapped him again.

"SHE IS NOTHING!" Akito was about to slap Kyo again, but the Cat caught Akito's wrist.

"I don't understand... she always speaks so kindly of you... and yet... You call her a fool...you say she is nothing... do you hate her?" Kyo had to ask as he genuinely didn't understand how Akito and Marley seemed to be so close, and he never wanted to think that Marley was poorly treated behind closed doors.

"You're crazy! What are you thinking? What are..." Kyo gasped as he began to think of the worst. Marley was so eager to help anyone she could, but that could so easily be used against, and Akito certainly seemed the type to take advantage.

"What...are you scheming? To use her... for what though..." Kyo didn't know what to do, but he wanted to take Marley far away. But...he couldn't.

"So quick to make me the villain..." Akito sneered but couldn't deny the hurt feeling at being accused of using Marley. The bronze-skinned foreigner wasn't the one being used. Marley was just someone that made Akito happy, that was all. Akito was simply looking out for the clueless foreigner.

"So which is it!? Are you in love with her or not!?" Akito pushed again, needing to know because if it was true, someone would have to pay as they couldn't let the bond be tarnished.

"I...!"

"If you are, you truly a fool! A monster in love! How can a monster who killed its own mother be in love?! Do you really think you have the right to be in love with anyone?!" Akito yelled, pointing a finger at Kyo.

"Do you think for one moment something like that would be allowed?!" Akito was screaming; the very idea of Kyo and Marley in love and happy made Akito sick. It wasn't how things were supposed to be.

Kyo was frozen as the harsh words were thrown at him.

"What a scandal that would be in the family. Marley's going to have a tough enough time convincing the elders that she truly be a part of the family... but if it was found out that the Cat was in love with her? She'll just be an outsider to the end of her days.." Akito pointed out, and Kyo clenched his fist. He wouldn't do that to her. Not when she was trying hard to become part of the family, and he knew she was trying to make her grandfather proud.

"Marley will most likely have her pick of bachelors as she is an heiress. If you love her, then you are the biggest fool to ever be born." Akito kept twisting the knife, making the boy more hopeless than he already was.

"Can't have a monster like you tainting her future." Akito sneered.

"I'm not in love..with her.." Kyo hissed through his teeth,

"I'm definitely not in love with her! Until the day I die... I'm not gonna fall in love with anyone!" He proclaimed, praying that God would believe the lie.

"... the hell with love."

_I hate this._

_I won't let her be dragged down with me..._

"I suppose... I was jumping to conclusions... but of course. How could you fall in love? For once, you're talking sense. And of course, you're not going to beat Yuki... So a lifetime of imprisonment is a foregone conclusion. But believe me, you're better off that way, right?" Akito felt a wave of relief, and it felt like everything was falling into place. Kyo seemed to falter to his knees, his head looking at the tatami mat.

"You don't want to bring Marley or Kazuma.. Or anyone else involved more than they already are for their sake. Having you out of their lives is the best thing that could happen." It'll be alright. Even though you'll be locked up. I'll come visit you. I'll be by your side. You won't be lonely..." Akito approached Kyo and got down on the floor, slightly playing with Kyo's orange hair.

"Yeah, right... You're just mocking me.." The boy didn't want to hear anymore. Kyo was exhausted, his soul felt like it was being dragged down further into a pit that he couldn't escape.

"..I love you, see? I really do. I love you...Kyo." Akito was smiling down at Kyo, but those dark eyes held no love.

"From now on... you need to be a good boy with the little time you have left on the 'outside.'" Akito wrapped their arms around the Cat for a few moments before releasing him. Cat didn't need to be told twice, not bothering to talk to anyone else as he left the annex in haste.

The boy walked along the road, the waves of the water filling the air.

_All I do... Is hurt people._

_Why didn't Mom just kill me?_

_She should've murdered me._

_Why am I... still alive?_

_Even now, as if I deserve to_

Kyo walked to the beach, but it was empty; only the sandcastle and footprints in the sand remained. The late afternoon glow making the ocean look almost gold. It was beautiful, but it wasn't what the boy was looking for.

"Marley?" Kyo's voice felt almost weak, like even saying her name seemed wrong at this point, but it had become the only word he wanted to say.

_...why am I still looking for her? Even when I know... it's hopeless_

_"...Kyo.. wait. Don't step on that poor thing." Kazuma warned him as they walked up a mountain path after training_

_"What's the point of protectin' one little flower?" Kyo asked as he looked down at the lonely white flower._

_"Where do I get off.. stayin' alive because of other people's sacrifices... Other people's lives? Stealing the most precious things of all... TRAMPLIN' ON OTHER PEOPLE!" Kyo yelled at the ground, frustrated with the lot he had been given in life and frustrated with himself/_

_"And yet... you are still alive... Because you haven't given up hope completely, no? Because you know that not everyone in this wide world will reject you." Kazuma pointed out, and Kyo just seemed to growl._

_"I don't. I don't know that, and I don't got no hope either." Kyo glared at the dirt, his fists clenched at his sides._

_"You do." Kazuma told him._

_"I DON'T!" Kyo yelled and, in his anger, brought his foot down on the small flower and whispering out once more..._

_"... I don't."_

_"Even if... You don't have hope right now. I promise it will come to you again. Just as how no matter if you struggle or try to ignore it, you will be assailed by despair once more." Kazuma looked at him sadly, but Kyo didn't see it. He was just looking at the flower beneath his foot._

_"By that same token... You will also be visited by hope. Hope will always bloom. Again, and again." Kazuma said before walking up the path alone, leaving Kyo and the flower. The boy lifted his foot and lowered down to the ground, his fingers lightly touching the flower that was just trying to survive on the mountain._

_Even after Kyo had trampled it... it seemed like it was still trying to stand back up... and it was still..._

_Beautiful._

_A passing butterfly thought so as well and even landed on the small flower right in front of Kyo, unbothered by his presence._

The boy started walking up the path towards the summer home. The walk became faster and faster, and soon he was running up the forest path, the blur of trees around him as his heart raced. Everything became so clear.

_I'm sorry, Shishou. I did understand. I was only pretending that I didn't._

_The truth is I knew it._

_I knew it all along._

_Just as there is rejection in this world... there are people who will reach out to you._

_The strange woman gave him a gentle close-lipped smile, and Kyo couldn't help but notice how large and pretty her big brown eyes were._

_She reached for his little land and took it in hers. Kyo was entranced by her deep skin tone, he had had never seen anything like it, and her hand seemed to be covered in strange, intricate drawings. And his curious side came out._

_"What's on your hand?" He asked as he grabbed her hand with both of his, inspecting her hand and then she laughed, and he blushed, immediately letting go and looked to the side. He assumed Kazuma repeated what he had asked, and she made a sound of acknowledgement._

_"Henna." She answered._

_"Hen-na?" He repeated the word._

_His Shishou explained who the woman was and who she was in relation to the Sohma family, and mentioned how she had a little girl and that he should come and visit because she hoped the two would be friends._

_"My little Titali." The woman showed him a picture of a girl his age with long, almost white hair and a cheeky smile. Kyo wondered if they could be friends... if she would smile like at him in real life._

_The word confused the boy, and the woman wasn't sure what the Japanese word was for it, so she drew a badly drawn butterfly._

_"Don't wait too long now." She patted his head, and he shyly nodded, a small blush on his cheeks over the affectionate gesture while the older woman continued talking with his Shishou while Kyo wondered what the little girl would be like... his curiosity taking hold of him._

_He did try to meet her..._

_A young Kyo snuck around the Estate til he found the house with the wisteria tree. He stood outside the front door, his little hand ready to knock, but nerves were starting to take over. The sound of muffled music filled his ears, and the curious young boy snuck around the side of the house, wanting to know._

_He didn't understand, but the melody was pleasant and uplifting._

_Orange eyes widened as he caught the shine of sunshine reflecting off platinum hair. A whirlwind of hair in a light purple overall danced around the room, holding onto the hands of a beautiful woman with deep skin and black hair._

_He couldn't understand what they were saying as the young girl about his age called to someone, and a tall man in a grey suit came in and picked her up with ease._

_The three were so happy, and Kyo tried to get a closer look. But large purple eyes got his gaze for an instant, and he ran away until he was around the corner, and he leaned against the wall to catch his breath, his little heart hammering his chest._

_It bloomed right in front of me, and it kept blooming._

_Kyo had wanted to meet her. To be her friend._

_But they looked so happy, and Kyo had felt awkward about interrupting. He didn't want to disturb the precious happiness they seemed to have together._

_But he also wanted to be closer to the light._

_He promised himself next time, he would try to cross that barrier. He wouldn't wait too long. Because he wanted to know her._

_He waited too long_

The family of three had left the country, and Kyo had been saddened about never being able to make that last step. But he had thought of them and hoped for their happiness.

As they had looked like a kind family filled with love.

Then... she returned, except her loving parents were gone now and had left their precious daughter behind.

But she still carried on and opened her heart to those around her.

The daughter with the glittering amethyst eyes he could get lost in until the end of time, and just the sound of her laughter would make his chest warm.

Gently blooming into something precious.

_I need to see you_

Kyo reached the house and came to a halting stop as he heard saw a twirling Marley, dancing and jumping to the rock English rock song, her hair wildly flowing around her and sliding around on the hardwood floor.

_I need you_

_It was all so clear, all this time._

_I love you_

"Marley." He said it softly at first, just wanting to say it, and it hadn't caught her attention yet. Kyo walked closer, stepping onto the porch and standing in the open doorway.

She was in a world of her own, her eyes still closed as she sang along to the chorus.

_My precious..._

"Marley," Kyo called out again, and Marley heard it this time and nearly jumped out of her skin as she opened her eyes, and the amethyst eyes Kyo loved stared straight into his. She turned completely red and ran a hand through her messy hair to try and put herself a little back together.

Unknown to Marley, Kyo was thinking how stunning she was, in every way. He had wished he could take a picture and carry it with him when he would no longer be allowed small moments like this.

"Kyo! I was just-" Her embarrassment washed away when her eyes locked onto a red mark on his cheek.

"Your face! What happened?!" She rushed forward and automatically brought her hand up, but he caught it in his, closing his fingers around hers.

"Just got into a fight with Akito." Kyo shrugged it off as it was nothing, too caught up in how Marley's soft hands felt against his skin.

He now wanted to hold every precious moment.

"A FIGHT?!" Marley looked even more worried now, and Kyo hoped that she wouldn't ask Akito about it. She started talking really fast and looked like she was about to storm off and talk with Akito herself, but Kyo's gentle grip kept her there.

"Don't worry. It's over now." He shrugged, but Marley didn't look convinced, her large eyes staring deep into his like she was trying to solve a puzzle, a small pout on her pink lips that Kyo couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to kiss those lips.

_Not that it would ever happen._

_It's truly over now_

"..Are you okay?" She asked, staring him down.

"It's fine... I just feel bad for you cause you were happy for me... but I really don't care whether I get invited or not... In fact. You could say I've never cared less." There was something different about Kyo, he seemed... lighter somehow, and it made Marley wonder what had happened between him and Akito.

"So, what's this?" Kyo nodded to the setup, and Marley hurried to try and hide the sign she had made.

"WAIT! It's not ready! It was supposed to be a surprise for you all when you got back." Marley tried to put her hands over Kyo's eyes and lead him away, but Kyo knew how to hold his ground, and Marley was unable to push him away.

"Well, I'm back now. Come on, let me see." Kyo stared Marley down, and the girl blushed as she tried to block the sign from his sight, but after a few moments, she finally gave in.

Kyo picked up the sign and felt slightly baffled.

'Taco-Sensei' was written in English, and then there was a picture of a black dog with rectangular glasses in a taco suit. He had seen this drawing before; it was one of Marley's doodles from class.

"I thought I told you to be good. This seems like mischief to me." Kyo teased, and Marley laughed as her cheeks burned a bit.

"It's for our pop-up Taco Shop!" Marley explained as she held up another piece of cardboard that looked like a menu except all the prices said 'FREE.' If Kyo counted this as mischievous, then Marley wasn't going to tell him that she sent Tohru and Miguel on the errand alone for the two to get some alone time.

Marley excitedly explained the plan, her accent showing up strong the faster she spoke. From how they would have items on the menu, and the Sohma's would have to step up to the window to order what they wanted and then wait for it to be served. It was already starting to look like a little outdoor restaurant, and Marley just mentioned that a few last things needed to be done and even had some matching aprons for 'the staff.'

"Are Miguel and Tohru helping?" Kyo didn't see them around, but he figured that Tohru wouldn't let Marley do something like this on her own.

"They went to the supermarket to grab ingredients." Marley smiled and suggested that they should be getting back soon as she had received a text a little ago that they were on the bus heading back. She was so excited, Kyo felt his love only growing, and the choice seemed simple.

_All the time I have left..._

_…..Is yours to have_

"Count me in." Kyo simply said, taking off his hoodie and throwing it on the couch, leaving him in a simple black v neck.

"Huh?" Marley was a little confused, wondering what he meant.

"I'll help. Can't have you running things by yourself." Kyo smirked, which caused Marley's stomach to do little flips with the way Kyo was looking at her.

"Are you sure? I don't mind doing it on my own, you can just relax or something. I'm sure you're tired." Marley didn't want Kyo to be bothered with her little project, but he shook his head.

"Just tell me what you need." Kyo's words struck something in Marley, like a bolt of electricity had shot through her. But Marley had no time to really think about it as Kyo was staring at her, waiting for an answer.

_I love you_

_I was hoping that we could be together forever somehow, somewhere, but..._

_But not anymore_

"Let's finish setting up the tables. And when Tohru and Miguel are back, we'll get started on the cooking. We'll need to taste test things before serving it to the costumers, of course." Marley pointed out as she put her hair up in a high pony-tail, a sign that it was time to get down to business.

"Weirdo... they're not customers, they're freeloaders." Kyo laughed, amazed at how she threw herself into projects like this. He just knew that everyone would be over the moon when they got back and how happy Marley would be when everyone was back and enjoying the evening together.

She truly did love them and wanted to make them happy.

It almost made Kyo a little jealous to think of how much time they would get to have with her, but... they made her happy too, and that was all that mattered.

"Do...do you think Shigure will be insulted by my doodle," Marley asked as they worked together to think of where to display it, and Kyo looked back down at the drawing.

"It'll probably flatter him if anything, will probably say something weird about it..." Kyo sighed as he could already picture the Dog making some sort of perverted comment. The boy then picked up the large piece and headed back into the house with it.

"Let's get rid of it." Kyo was kind of jesting, but Marley's reaction was priceless as her eyes widened in panic, and she quickly followed him.

"KYO! NO!" Marley laughed, and as she tried to catch up with him, but her socks slipped on the hardwood, and before she could fall, Kyo reached out and steadied her easily, his hand gently squeezing hers.

"Not very graceful for a ballerina... what am I going to do with you." Kyo teased, but his eyes were still kind, and Marley's cheeks flushed a little, embarrassed over nearly falling, but Kyo was grateful for every moment that his fingers could touch her skin. To just be in her presence, he would treasure it all.

_I don't want to make her mine or anything like that_

_Not anymore_

_So please at least let me be with her during the time I have left._

_I wanna be with her until that moment..._

_Until the very end._

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: Can't think of many notes XD
> 
> oh except for the idea of Marley setting up a makeshift little taco restaurant for fun comes from a Jenna Marbles video where she did a little burger shop type thing from her house window. I thought it was so cute and I could see Marley really wanting to try it.
> 
> Thank you for reading and don't forget to leave kudos and comment, it really makes me happy to think that peeps are enjoying Marley's story


	16. To See What We Could Do, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for cutting, blood and mild violence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for cutting, blood and mild violence.

The room was quiet as two figures lounged, the only light coming from Akito's phone as she watched scrolled through a certain adopted Sohma's social media. Shigure watched, feeling a little neglected as he drank another cup of sake. His God seemed to be completely engulfed in the phone, their eyes glaring at numerous photos and a video here and there.

The Dog heard familiar laughter coming from the phone, pouring himself another glass and downing before making his way to be close so he could look and see what had Akito so preoccupied.

"Welcome to Taco-Sensei's Taqueria; what can I get you?" Marley greeted the camera, and Shigure could hear Momiji's giggle before the two conversed, and Marley took his order and yelled it behind her and heard Miguel's deep voice and Tohru's giving a 'Hai!'.

Another video showing the backyard of the summer house was transformed into a little outdoor seating area, tea lights and tables with clothes and mason jars filled with flowers—another photo of Marley posing with Miguel, Tohru and Kyo wearing matching aprons. A sign held by Marley and Tohru read 'Taco-Sensei' and had a picture of a black dog with glasses in a taco suit.

There were many pics and videos of the Zodiac kids enjoying the little 'Taqueria.' Their smiles evident as they ate the foreign dishes, and another video popped up.

A song played as Marley was dancing on the porch; her apron was now gone as it seemed the 'restaurant' was currently closed. Momiji and Kisa were dancing along with her at first, and then Marley and Tohru joined, and soon the only one's not dancing were Kyo and Hiro, it seemed. Shigure had to assume one of the two was holding the camera-phone.

The white-blonde dragged her over-seas friend to dance before making him dance with the Honda girl. Marley held out her hand to the camera as if asking anyone watching to join in, her cheeks flush from dancing and her bright eyes brimming with joy.

"They look like idiots..." Akito grimaced, but that didn't stop Akito from looking through all the stories Marley had posted. Akito didn't fool Shigure at all; he could tell that she was jealous. The pout was a dead giveaway.

"And all the animals dancing and ate and drank the night away, surrounding God and making them happier than they had ever been." Shigure mused before as he swished the little amount of sake he had left.

"what are you trying to say?"

"Mhmm nothing... Perhaps we should join them... you did receive an invite to this thing... did you not?" Shigure knew that Akito had been invited, he had heard Marley's phone call and how quickly Akito was to shoot it down, mentioning that she was tired and didn't want to leave the annex.

"I shouldn't have to go to them..."

_Everyone will come to me in the end_

Akito was stubborn, and her God complex only made it worse.

"You know... in some old paintings of the Zodiac curse... God was shown with long white hair...almost eerily similar to Marley's hair." Shigure mused as he continued to watch God swipe through photos.

"Your point being?" Akito had heard the comparison between herself and Marley before... But it was from nobodies, whispers from around the estate.

Akito may have been the head of the Sohma clan, but she was not nearly as approachable as Marley, who had begun getting a reputation around the complex of being helpful and open. Children were especially drawn to her as well.

But Akito could care less what they thought as she was God and was born to be loved while Marley was an outsider, and nothing could ever truly change that. That's what the elders had told Akito, and so God did not let whispers bother her.

They didn't understand the bond she had...

But hearing something like this from one of her Zodiac members... it felt like someone had splashed cold water on her.

"Why aren't they here eating and drinking and dancing...why do they look so happy to be away from you..." The alcohol loosened Shigure's lips a little too much, but he was getting bored and wanted to move things along.

Akito clenched her jaw as she felt her blood go cold. How could he say such words so easily?

"Why are you so unkind to me..." Akito asked as she slightly turned her head to look at him

"I am kind to you." The man simply shrugged but knew that Akito would argue.

"Not kind enough! You were much kinder before!" Akito snapped as she stood over Shigure and glared down at him. The Dog apologized, but it was clear he was being sarcastic as he stood up and excused himself.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I want to go get a 'taco.'" He simply said and left before Akito could stop him. He was tired, a little drunk and kind of hungry.

The young head of the Sohma family sat in the dark, alone. A bitterness growing as she continued to stew about Shigure's words.

"Why aren't they here eating and drinking and dancing around you...why do they look so happy to be away from you..."

"Akito." Kureno spoke through the door, and Akito simply answered with an impatient 'what.'

"I have a message from the main family." at that, Akito walked to the door and slid it open.

"Doing whatever they want again...Just who do they think the family head is?" Akito tsked, annoyed that she had to be called upon for every little thing.

.

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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

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.

The Dog of the Zodiac walked down the forest path, humming the old song that had been playing in Marley's posts. The sky was beginning to cloud over, and he could tell that a storm was only moments away. The summer home was quiet; the lights appeared to be mostly off except for one in the kitchen and living room.

He clumsily entered the house, alerting the only two were still up as they turned around on the couch to see who it was.

"Shigure! Good evening." Marley smiled warmly at him.

"Shii-Chan!" Momiji waved from his spot on the couch, but the two didn't rise to come over. Shigure sauntered over and leaned on the couch to look over their shoulder to see what they were looking at.

"Woah, who is that handsome, dark-haired stranger." He smirked as he eyed the picture of himself as a teen on the beach. It was a bonfire on the private beach, and Ayame was there along with Hatori and Yuuto Sohma on their guitars. It appeared that Marley and Momiji had found a photo album that had been left in the summer house.

_Summer Memories..._

Marley was about to ask the young novelist about the photo album, but there was something about his dark eyes that threw her off. She also was met with a wave of the smell of alcohol from Shigure's breath when she turned to fully face him.

"Awwww is the taco shop closed down? Pity." He whined, but Marley was quick to jump to action and was sure they had some leftovers that she could quickly cook up for him.

"Really!? You would do that. Your gonna make the perfect wife, Marley-Chan." Shigure teased.

Momiji agreed, and Marley blushed and laughed it off, leaving Momiji to continue looking through the photo album while she wandered into the kitchen, Shigure closely behind her. While she got a few things out of the fridge, the tipsy Dog watched all her movement, slightly humming as he swayed on the spot.

"You should sit down, Shigure, and I can get you some water." It was relatively silent between the two, and the small pitter pater made Marley look outside.

"Oh, the forecast didn't call for rain... hopefully, it clears up tomorrow night, Momiji and bought so many fireworks."

"Oh, that sounds like fun."

"Shigure.."

"Hmm?"

"You're close with Akito, right?"

"I do try to be." Shigure smirked.

"Do you think that maybe you could convince Akito to join us for fireworks? It's kind of the last opportunity for us all to do something together, and it seems a waste for her to be cooped up in that annex." Marley said this with such genuine care that it made Shigure bristle a bit.

"I don't believe the others would appreciate that." The adult tried to warn, but Marley only tilted her head as she asked why.

He couldn't take this anymore. It pissed him off that this girl who had taken so much could be so naive. The alcohol was certainly making his judgements a little blurry.

"You really are a clueless little girl." Shigure chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Excuse me?" Marley swore that maybe she had heard Shigure wrong.

"Tell me...how do you feel about the Zodiac members."

"Well... many of them are very dear to me." It was true; some of her most precious people were of the Zodiac.

She loved them. It was as pure and simple as that.

"Right... Right...Kisa is like your little shadow..." Shigure started listing Zodiac members she was more close with, the one's she was close with

"Hatori spent most of his free time at your bedside when you were sick..." There were times that Shigure would call Hatori up, and he would be busy with the white-blonde girl.

"I've heard that you and Rin are as thick as thieves..." Isuzu was famous for shutting herself from the people around her, so Marley becoming friends with her was impressive in itself.

"Even Hiro sees you as a big sister..." The youngest Zodiac member was sarcastic and a smart aleck, so there were few who would even put up with the boy, but Shigure knew it was partly due to Hiro that Marley was even still among the Sohma Family.

"Kyo spends less and less time at the house, it seems, and it's not really a mystery where he is..." Shigure was usually the only one still up when Kyo finally returned to the house in the evening.

"But yet you remain clueless to the one that hurts them and even shower her in love and attention...tell me. Do you know about Hatori's eye?" Shigure eyed Marley like a hawk, watching the confused look in her eyes with mirth.

He did enjoy playing with people; it was a small joy.

"He fell into a mirror-"

"Pfft he fell... When Hatori and Kana asked Akito for permission to marry... Akito lost her temper and .." Shigure tapped his eye to bring the point home, and Marley's eyes widened.

"And Kisa's hospital stay? She took a rough tumble down the stairs. Yuki... he took a lot of tumbles when he was locked into that room. And Rin... a very nasty fall that almost cost her life."

"Didn't you ever wonder... why everyone always gets so quiet when Akito is mentioned... how the air becomes so thick you could cut it with a knife?"

"Yet you happily stayed by her side-" Marley didn't even hear the rest, too lost in her brain as she felt her senses blur, and her throat went dry as she stepped backwards from Shigure, who was almost smirking at her.

"Don't believe me? Maybe you should go ask God yourself?" Shigure prodded as he took in Marley's wide eyes and shaken form. She had no words as she swiftly left the house, not even bothering to close the door behind her. Grey eyes watched her run into the rain, her white-blonde hair disparaging down the path.

"Shii-Chan? Where did Marley go?" The blonde boy asked from the couch as he finished looking through the photo album and noticed that Shigure was alone in the kitchen, walking over with the album in hand and laying it on the kitchen table as he looked out the front door that was left open.

While the young Rabbit continued to ask questions, Shigure looked at the photo album that Momiji and Marley had been looking through. He flipped through the pages; many photos of a younger Tetsuo Sohma, his late wife and a young Yuto enjoyed the Sohma beach resort.

It was weird seeing pictures of Yuto's mother as she had been the Dog of the Zodiac before him, but the current Dog couldn't see himself having anything in common with the kind-looking women who had been known for her warm nature.

Especially right now.

Flipping through the pages was like travelling through time. That's what Yuto used to say, at least, and he wasn't wrong. When Shigure came across him and his friends in the pictures, he remembered simpler times, happier times. There would always be a struggle due to the way life was and the weighted burden of living with a curse.

Yuto, though while not cursed, was empathetic towards the cursed members and became a mentor and older brother figure to the Dragon, Snake, Dog and the Rooster of the Zodiac. His patient ways and optimistic nature saw the boys through tough times, and he taught them many things and fought for them to find their own paths, even when faced with barriers.

And then he left; Yuto Sohma had fallen in love with a beautiful foreigner who had a young child.

Yuto left the Sohma family, ran away into the arms of something more...normal.

When they returned 10 years later, Shigure was it lowest that he had ever been. Practically thrown out of the main estate after trying to get revenge for a broken heart. Yuto had seen him wasting away in the empty house and wanted to make it better, telling Shigure that he would fix things, that it will get better. Yuto was excited to bring the people he loved most in this world together and create a big family.

_"You'll love her, she's a little goofball with a curiosity for the world that never seems to be filled."_

_"When you're ready, I'll introduce you."_

_"We'll all be a family."_

And then he was really gone.

Leaving a child who reminded Shigure so much of Yuto despite not sharing blood. She had his smile and shared the same compassionate heart.

And here he was sending her to God to try and break her.

Momiji watched as the strange smug look on the Dog's face before the man hid his face behind his hand, a strange laugh leaving his lips.

"I... really am... The dirtiest soul..." He mumbled as he sat there, looking back and forth between the small plate that Marley had left him and the door she had left.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he found himself unable to even touch the food and finally got up and headed towards the door, but not before suggesting that Momiji go to bed due to the late hour.

Shigure slowly stumbled up the path, stopping for a moment to lean on a tree, and it felt like all his insides were on fire and needed to be let out.

So he did, right next to the tree.

His throat burned, and the smell was disgusting, but Shigure chuckled a bit as he wiped his mouth. Thunder cracked above him, and it helped to sober him up even more. The storm was loud, and the wind began to whip, and the Dog could only hope that that storm would quickly pass and not leave too much damage in her wake.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

Marley felt like every breath was needles instead of air as she ran up the path to the annex.

_All this time..._

Marley looked back at all the memories.

_Kisa..._

_Isuzu..._

_Yuki's face when Akito arrived_

_Everyone's demeanour..._

Had she truly been that ignorant to all their pain?

Marley had witnessed Akito's small tantrums but never imagined that she was abusing her family.

_Why wouldn't they tell me?_

The only time Akito had truly become angry with her was when Marley had brought up Kyo becoming part of the inner Zodiac... the ink that was splattered over Marley when Akito lost her temper.

_Was that... just a small glimpse_

_Was this why everyone always seemed on edge when I mentioned Akito... why they always seemed to ask if I was okay..._

_Please don't let it be..._

"Marley-Sama I-" A maid with light brown hair and fringe was surprised to see the young woman practically burst through the front doors of the annex, a frazzled look on the ordinarily cheerful girl.

"I'm here to see Akito." Marley stated, not bothering with greetings, and the maid bowed and apologized.

"Akito-Sama has been called back to the main house and is getting ready to leave." The maid tried to explain, but Marley couldn't wait.

"It's urgent. I need to speak with Akito." Marley's large eyes and tall stature was certainly intimidating, and the maid had never seen anything but a kind smile on the adopted Sohma's face and could tell that she was not backing down. The maid gulped and bowed her head and led Marley down the hall, knocking and announcing Marley's arrival.

But Marley hardly waited and opened the door with force, flooding light in the darkroom where Akito was just changing into a black dress shirt.

"Ah, Marley... what a pleasant-"

"We need to talk." Marley was shaking but was trying to hide it, trying to maybe convince herself that just maybe... Shigure was lying to her.

Because if he wasn't...Marley would never be able to forgive herself for being so blind.

"This needs to wait, we'll talk when you return to the estate." Akito tried to wave Marley off as she buttoned up her shirt. But Marley wasn't having it; she couldn't wait another second.

She had to know now.

"NO! We're talking now." Marley snapped, and Akito glared, not appreciating the tone or the way Marley was looking at her.

_Is she...ordering me around? Me?!_

"I have more pressing matters than to deal with your hysterics." The dark-haired head of the Sohma tried to brush her off, but Marley grabbed Akito by the shoulders and made her face her, her eyes were glassy with tears, and she was clearly shaken by something.

"... I need you, to be honest with me..." Marley asked, not breaking eye contact, and Akito waited for her to continue.

"Have... have you ever hurt anyone?"

"Excuse me?" Akito raised a brow, and Marley decided to ask again.

"Have you ever... hurt one of the Zodiac members?" Marley prayed that Akito would outright deny it. It was awkward question to ask but there should only be on right answer.

"How so?"

It wasn't what Marley wanted to hear; she was hoping for 'I would never!' but... maybe she needed to be more precise with her questions.

"Kyo said you two got in a fight."

"You're bringing him up again." Akito groaned as if even mentioning the boy cursed with the Cat spirit was a chore.

"He didn't lay a hand on you... did he..." But Kyo still had a slight bruise on his face, even hours after the supposed 'fight'.

"Who else?"

"This is none of your business." Akito was outright glaring at Marley now, an uncomfortable feeling in her chest, and the hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end. She wanted to run away from the look that Marley was giving her, but the amethyst eyed girl kept her there.

"How did Hatori hurt his eye?"

"This? I told you already, it was that woman's fault." Akito brushed it off, but Marley pushed forward.

"How? How was it Kana's fault?"

"She had the nerve to try and take him from me." Akito said as if it was obvious, and Marley's fears just began to grow.

"...Did you hurt Hatori's eye?"

"I can't believe this, it's really none of your concern."

"When Kisa was fell and got all those injuries...how did she fall?"

Marley clearly remembered the day well. She had been at the gymnasium practicing her aerial silks when the receptionist told her she had a call. Marley recalled the way her heart dropped when she heard Kisa's mother's distraught voice as she tried to explain that Kisa was in the hospital.

Even running into Akito at the hospital after she met Kisa's mother in the lobby.

_The elevator door opened, and a surprising figure stepped out, clad in dark pants and a black turtleneck, onyx eyes staring into mine._

_"Akito-Sama? What are you doing here?" Asked the worried mother as she held onto my wrist and clamped down tightly, moving slightly in front of me._

_"Just checking on dear little Kisa, I was distraught, you see. I hate seeing any of my precious Zodiac members in pain. I just had a quick word is all, but now I must head back." Akito spoke to Kisa's mother and then turned her sights on me._

_There was an odd air of malice in the air, all-round, I felt the air grow cold, and I felt like I couldn't breathe._

_Akito stepped fully out of the elevator and reached for my free hand, caressing the back of my hand with her thumb. For a comforting gesture, it made my instincts scream..._

_"Kisa's waiting for me... I have to go." I stated, struggling past the lump in my throat as I pulled my hand out of her grip and walked into the elevator with Kisa's mother._

_A hand latched on my wrist tightly right before the elevator door closed. Akito squeezed my wrist, trying to tug me towards her, but Kisa's mother held onto my other arm firmly, keeping me by her side._

_"Marley.." Akito let out as she looked at me with pleading eyes, her mood seeming to sway right before my eyes. I looked over at the petite woman beside me and told her it was okay, and Kisa's mother unlatched from my arm. I quickly wrapped up my arms around Akito and rubbed her back._

_"Go home, Akito. I'll see you back at the estate." I promised as I pulled out of the hug and squeezed her arms lightly before stepping back into the elevator, barely catching the glare Akito sent my way before the doors closed._

_I knew... something was wrong... but I shook off the feeling... truly just thinking that I was imagining things..._

"...Hiro told me that he loved Kisa... I was merely showing that girl her place." Akito shrugged as if it was no different than sending a child to the corner for a time out.

Could Akito truly not understand what she had down to Kisa...

_Sweet Kisa...who would never hurt a fly... put in the hospital for merely existing..._

Marley would never forget that scene of her covered in bandages, her gold eyes filled with tears as she reached for the white-blonde as she called out, her voice so soft and broken sounding.

_She had been so scared... in so much pain...and all I could do was sit by her bedside when I'm sure... there was something more I could have done..._

Marley was shaking, her long nails piercing into her palms as she clenched her fists. No one told her... they all lied and said it was just a fall. They knew what Akito had done and let Marley continue to be friends with someone who hurt someone precious to her.

_Did it hurt Kisa... did it hurt whenever I mentioned that I had spent time with Akito?_

Her heart was breaking, but she felt like she deserved it, and Marley went back to the conversation with Shigure. She had been hoping that the Dog of the Zodiac was pulling her leg, playing some sort of cruel prank, but he was simply telling her the truth.

The ugly truth...

"No...no..no,no" Marley cried as she fell to her knees and her hands dropped to the tatami mat as she stared at the floor, breathing became more challenging.

I'm gonna be sick...

"Please tell that you didn't push Isuzu out that window..."

"I was simply doing everyone a favor. No one wanted her." Akito said those words so easily, and Marley felt her heart crack in two.

_Who was this person?_

_Who was this cruel, twisted soul?_

Marley looked at Akito, and she didn't see the somewhat awkward girl she had gotten to know. The Akito that Marley had come to know was kind in her own way, a little on the quiet side but with a temper now and then. She was insecure when it came to certain things, and she recognized the loneliness in Akito's eyes as Marley herself had been lonely for years.

This person's eyes were... deranged and unstable.

_Who are you?_

"How... Could you- I...Why?!" The way Marley was looking at Akito... it scared the God. Marley's eyes were full of tears, and they were flowing down her cheeks. The amethyst eyes were full of hurt, betrayal, anger.

Marley was thinking of all the pain in their eyes, her precious friends who carried the weight of the curse and was subject to the abuse that came from someone who should have been caring for them.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Marley practically launched herself at Akito and brought her down to the ground, straddling her as she continued to question her.

"I thought you loved them! I thought you said you were God of the Zodiac!?" Marley couldn't understand how someone could treat others this way.

"I AM GOD!" Akito yelled back as she tried to push Marley off, but the white-blonde could not be pushed away so easily.

"God shouldn't treat their people like this! God should love them! Protect them! Care for them!" Marley was not all that religious, but she knew what kind of God she wanted to believe in.

"They are not 'people'! They are freaks, and they were born waiting for me; they don't care how I treat them; they will always love me as I am their reason for living." Akito defended her actions. Her logic was so twisted, so selfish that it almost left Marley speechless.

"...No."

"No?"

"They are not freaks! They are people! Human beings with dreams and hopes. Joys and fears and you... you've been abusing their love..all this time. They are just... human, and you are not their God..." Marley's grip loosened as it seemed her burst of anger had disputed, and a pang of sadness took place.

"You would never understand, you're an outsider." Akito scoffed, refusing to truly take in Marley's words as she didn't like being painted as some sort of villain.

"I am god, they are mine to rule over, and they are only here on this earth to love me... what does it matte-"

"How can you not see... how terrible you are to them. You've hurt them in so many ways...and I..." Marley covered her mouth as she backed away, thinking of all the wrong she had done.

How much time she spent with Akito, how many laughs they shared and all those memories.

_Were they false?_

Because Akito had been abusing her family while Marley was put in the dark...

_Did I ever know you? Truly know you?_

No... Marley had gotten to know Akito. Marley never saw the woman as the head of the house or 'God'. Those memories they had created, they were real, they had felt real. The meals they had shared together, the walks they had taken. Marley didn't spend time with Akito because of some ancient bond. It was because that Marley had found a friend in the dark-eyed girl.

Marley felt the air in the room become heavy, and she felt that this was no longer the Akito she had come to know.

"What does it matter to you. They are not yours... Besides... you said that you loved me, was that a lie?" Akito tucked a piece of hair behind Marley's ear, being tender with the long white-blonde locks.

"Akito... I think you're very sick... I think you need help." Marley saw so much pain in the Sohma family, she wasn't sure what she could do, but she had to start somewhere. She had to try.

"This... bond you think you have... I think it consumed you...I think you need to find a way to... Break it." Marley knew that as soon as that final word left her lips that all hell would break loose. But it was the truth of the matter.

The 'bond' needed to end. Because it wasn't a bond at all, it was nothing but a curse, but Marley knew that Akito didn't see it that way.

"I do have a bond! It's unbreakable! You don't care about me... you're just a pretender... you were only nice to me to get something, weren't you... YOU WERE TRYING TO TRCIK ME!" Akito gripped Marley's hair tightly and forced her head up to look at her, as her long nails dug into Marley's scalp. But Marley didn't budge; she just continued on.

"I'm not trying to trick you... I want to help you. This isn't a bond... not when you hurt them for simply existing... How could this ever lead to happiness...this thing... This curse-" Marley was thrown to the floor, and Akito unleashed the girl's hair and stepped back. Her entire body was shaking, and tears had started to form.

"NO!" Akito was clutching her head as if she was in pain, her head and heart splitting in two, it seemed.

"YES IT IS! THIS ISN'T A BOND OR LOVE! What... what you're doing to them is wrong, Akito!" Marley argued.

"Shut up."

"We need to find a way-"

"Stop it!"

"-To break it."

"I SAID TO SHUT UP!" Marley caught the flash of Akito's eyes before she felt a sharp jab to her temple, and everything felt woozy like she saw double as she crawled along the tatami mat trying to pull herself together.

"YOU WERE WORKING WITH THAT WOMAN WEREN'T YOU! TO MAKE A FOOL OF ME!" Akito accused Marley as images of the devil woman with long black hair flashed in her mind.

It was the only thing that made sense. It had been a plot all along, hadn't it? It was why Marley spent so much time with the Zodiacs and fooled them into thinking that she could love them even with their strange forms.

IT was all to get back at Akito. It had to be...

That was the only thing that made sense to her, and now it was time for a lesson to be learned.

"Looks like you need to learn your place too."

Everything felt like it was spinning as Marley felt her body being weighed down around her midsection. Akito was straddling her, keeping her from being able to move much.

"They... will always return to me... they are only born to love me..." Marley felt a slice in her right arm and started to scream in pain, but her mouth was quickly stuffed by a cloth of some sort.

"Quiet... I need to concentrate...may this remind you... That you will be nothing in this family. But an outsider." Marley's skin felt like it was on fire as she tried to kick her feet to get up, but Akito's rage was intense, and she used her weight to keep Marley down.

Akito spoke to her, but Marley was barely able to pick up a few words now and then through the agonizing pain.

"I'll teach you... you will never be able to tear us apart..."

"They all return to me..."

"...locked away..."

"Til the rest of his days."

The burning feeling and the smell of iron along with the

"They will stay forever by my side and love only me. Endless banquets."

Another slice in her skin and Marley's world turned black, the pain and the stress too much as her body simply shut down, only hearing a few last words before the darkness took over.

"You won't take them from me."

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

Momiji waited... and waited.

He knew he should have been sleeping, but he didn't want to go. Not till he saw Marley walk back through the front door. Shigure had been strange when he left to go back to the annex, mentioning that Momiji should go to bed, but he just had a terrible feeling in his chest.

He saw a figure walk up the front steps through the rain, and he ran out to greet her.

But it wasn't who he was waiting for.

"Akito?" Momiji asked as he approached the figure in the night.

"What's up? It's so late." Momiji was going to ask if Akito had seen Marley on his walk over but didn't get a chance.

"Tohru Honda-San. I've come to see her." Akito simply stated, but Momiji could sense that something was terribly wrong.

"I have to head back. Something urgent came up. But I realized. That I haven't seen Tohru Honda-San yet."

"Now? But I'm sure Tohru is sleeping." Momiji tried to reason, but Akito wasn't having it.

"Wake her up."

"... No..." This one small word took so much of the Rabbit's strength, but he wanted to protect the ones he loved.

"Akito, right now... I can tell that you're angry. And when you're... you take it out on other people. You shouldn't do that."

The silence was terrifying.

"Akito... what's the matter? What are you so upset about?" Momiji tried to ask, hoping that this would be enough to stop Akito in his need to see Tohru for whatever reason.

"Has... something happened?"

"What good would knowing that do you? You want to know more about me? You... want to understand me? Whatever for?" Akito mocked, and those dark eyes seemed to be unhinged.

"YOU MAKE ME SICK!" Akito snapped as he backhanded Momiji sending the boy back a bit.

"You? Understand me? You just want to look down on me! YOU JUST WANT TO DEFINE ME WITH YOUR OH-SO-SUPERIOR LOGIC!" Akito raised their hand again, ready to strike again.

"PLEASE STOP!" A new voice entered a fray as they franticly jumped in, and Tohru placed herself between Akito and Momiji.

"Stop... please stop this." Tohru pleaded, and Akito could only glare down at the Brunnett in disgust.

"Stop? You're giving me an order? That's terrible. Awful. You're a nasty person." Akito scoffed.

"Akito-"

"But Tohru? Tohru Honda. I've come here to see you. No matter how rude you are to me, there's something I want to tell you. Don't get conceited. You and her... that woman. Low life scum!" Akito walked closer to the girl, neither one noticing that Momiji had run off into the forest path.

"If you think you can save Yuki and Kyo... you should be ashamed of that ignorance. I'll share something with you." Akito cradled Tohu's face, and the teenager felt frozen with fear, Akito's aura was overpowering.

"I'll tell you a little secret about Kyo." Akito smirked, enjoying how Tohru seemed to cower in her presence.

"Once he finishes high school... he's going to be locked away. Just like the previous Cat. Forever. Until he dies." Tohru's eyes widened, not wanting to believe the words coming out Akito's mouth.

"As for Yuki, he'll come back to the Sohma compound. He'll be at my side. Everyone will. They'll live and die there. All of the members of Zodiac will be together. Living in the same place, at the same place." Akito's face looked towards the sky, a small smile on her face, and Tohru tried to understand what she was hearing.

"They will take nothing... and nothing will be taken from them. Forever... their lives will never change."

"A future filled with happiness. A banquet without end...nothing will ever change...and you are not invited."

"Is that really happiness?" Tohru asked, genuinely wondering if anyone could consider that happiness.

"Locking someone away, forcing others to return to the Sohma house...Is that really-"

"Would you stop talking. Honestly... you and that fool really need to learn your place." Akito spat, and Tohru found herself curious about who Akito was speaking off as Akito placed a hand on Tohru's cheek.

_That fool?_

"In the Sohma family, we have a different way of life than an outsider like you. Your frail sense of value isn't up to judging what's good and evil." Akito spoke with confidence and no room for argument.

"...You... who are you?... In the Zodiac, which one are you?" Tohru asked. She had thought that maybe Akito was the bird of the Zodiac, but that didn't feel right. Tohru could feel Akito's nails, the pressure digging into the skin of her cheek, but she was frozen.

Who else was left? Tohru heard her Mother's voice telling her the story of the Zodiac and the banquet.

"Long, long ago... God said to the animals... God..."

"To the members of the Zodiac... I am their God." Akito's nail's slid across Tohru's cheek, and she felt and burning sensation. Akito was about to say more, but right before Tohru's eyes, the Zodiac God was gone, and she was staring at inked angel wings.

"I don't know who you are, but you lay another hand on her, I'll knock you out clean, and someone will be picking up your teeth off the ground." The tall male stood protectively in front of Tohru, wearing nothing but some dark sweatpants as rain pelted down on the three in the front yard.

"Miguel-Kun!"

Tohru tried to step out from behind him, but the boy held out his arm on instinct to keep her back, but Tohru could peek over and, Miguel had grabbed Akito by the neck and was easily holding him off the ground with his free hand so he could stare straight into Akito's eyes.

This aura was terrifying; Miguel was a large boy, and his muscles in his arms were hard to miss, but it wasn't only that. It was the dark look in those green eyes and scowl on his mouth.

"Please! Put Akito-San down." Kureno called as he walked into the yard.

"Ah... so this is Akito...pathetic." Miguel huffed, and he felt a small squeeze on his left arm and looked down to see large brown eyes; their softness and tears seem to be begging him. Miguel let out a sigh and let Akito drop like a doll. Kureno ran over to see if Akito needed his help, but Akito slapped his hand away.

"You can't treat me like this! Do you know who I-" But Miguel's stare was not a joke, and he was not impressed. It was clear that Miguel did not care who Akito was.

"Pinche Pendejo." Miguel spat; the bite was apparent even if no one could understand the words.

"Come along, Kureno. This was a waste of my time." Akito's final words as he walked away, and the auburn man could only bow his head in a slight apology to the two teens before following along.

"Miguel-Kun I-."

"Damn... I should have knocked him out when I had a chance." Miguel tsked as he looked over the three scratches on Tohru's pale face.

"Momiji-Kun! He was hurt!" Tohru looked around for the young blonde boy, but he was nowhere to be seen.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

.

"Tori-San! Shii-Chan!" Momiji called out through the large annex, but the place seemed to be in disarray as a maid rushed past him, barely acknowledging him.

The Rabbit followed the maid and ended up in a hallway outside the quarters that Akito had been staying in. A few maids were standing out in the hallway, whispering amongst themselves and frightened looks on their faces.

"Momiji-San. You shouldn't be here." One of the maids tried to steer him away from the now open door, but he ducked under and moved forward to see what they all seemed to be talking about.

Hatori was in the room, his medic kit open on the table, and Momiji could hear the doctor asking questions but getting no answer. Momiji spotted Shigure in the corner, his hand covering his face, but his stance seemed sullen.

The boy felt like he was five years old again, and he was seeing his mother with her flowing yellow blonde hair splayed across the floor as she curled up in a ball, blood on the floor and a pair of scissors with blood on it the table.

Except it wasn't his mother. It was Marley, and she was currently having her right forearm bandaged up by Hatori, another bandage apparent on her temple as well, a bit of blood showing through.

"Marley, look at the light, please." Hatori flashed a small little light in front of the girl, and she barely seemed to react.

"Seems to be in shock still. But her pupils aren't blown, so she doesn't seem to have a concussion." Hatori sighed the exhaustion and stress showing in his shoulders.

"Marley?" Momiji called out.

"Momiji? What are you doing here?" Hatori didn't want Momiji or any of the others to see, and Marley was so out of it that she didn't even hear Momiji's voice.

"Akito... He's at the house and Tohru." Momiji remembered why he had come here, but he was still trying to get a look at the girl who was sitting on the floor behind Hatori, her heads facing the floor, her long hair hiding her face.

Shigure walked over and tried to walk Momiji out, but his reflexes were quicker, and he ran to Marley's side, looking into her eyes, which seemed dead, almost like she was lost in a trance.

"M-Ma-Marley-Chan?" Momiji called out as he reached out and touched her unbandaged arm. He called again, and Marley turned her head slightly to look at him, raising her right arm and lightly ghosting over the forming bruise that Akito had left on Momiji's cheek.

It was such a gentle and warm touch, one that Momiji had been dreaming of, but he hadn't wanted it like this. Tears began to gather in Marley's eyes as she didn't need to ask where the mark had come from.

"I'm so sorry..I-" Marley's apology was cut off by Momiji throwing himself onto her, and Marley wrapped her arms around his torso. His human form staying longer than ever before as he willfully tried to hold off the transformation, wanting to feel the embrace to its fullest before he disappeared into a poof, and Marley held his small rabbit body to her heart.

Their tears falling from their eyes onto the bloody Tatami mat as the rain continued to pound on the roof.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

"What the hell was that asshole's problem?" The teen asked, and Tohru got flustered over the language, but Miguel sighed as he continued to look through the first aid kit. Tohru steered the conversation another way, complimenting Miguel's skill with patching her up.

It was only a few scratches on her face, but Miguel still hated seeing any harm coming to the girl.

"Marley had to patch me up a few times... actually picked up a few things." Miguel dabbed a bit of ointment on the scratches on Tohru's cheeks, trying to be as gentle as he could.

It was so confusing as he got up only to get a glass of water and saw Haru, Yuki, and Kyo crowded by a window, and Miguel looked to see what had them all up. The Latin American boy saw some shady looking character in black laying his hands on Tohru and didn't need to be told anything as he moved as quick as lightning down the stairs and out the door to shove the man away.

Tohru had looked too scared, and Miguel wished he could have beaten up the rich boy.

"I... I thought you were an angel..." Tohru mentioned in a soft voice, and Miguel thought he must have heard it wrong.

"Huh?"

"I- I was scared and then... It was like you dropped from heaven."

"If you ever meet my Mom, please don't tell her that... I'll never hear the end of it."

"Why?" Tohru was curious to hear more about Miguel's family. He still seemed like a mystery to her, and she wanted to hold on to every word he told her.

"She named me after the archangel, kind of... My given name is Miguel Angel... After the archangel Michael." Miguel admitted, hoping his cheeks weren't too red out of embarrassment. He definitely didn't feel like an angel.

"That's beautiful. You're like a guardian angel." Tohru's kind words made the boy's heart pump a little faster.

Miguel rolled his eyes, but his blush was evident, asking Tohru to sit still as he gently placed the bandage on her face. He wanted to scoff at the idea of him being any kind of guardian, especially when he felt like he was too late to stop Akito from hurting Tohru.

He didn't know what was going on, but he wished he was stronger to stop anything from hurting the girl with a smile as bright as the moon that was beginning to peek through the clouds.

The storm had finally passed.

At least that's how it seemed.

Hatori and Shigure had dropped by, checking in after Momiji had run off to get them. Shigure was quieter than normal, an odd look in his eyes, and when Miguel and Tohru asked about Momiji, they mentioned he was sleeping at the annex tonight.

It was strange, but the two adults didn't linger; Hatori had to leave with Akito, and Shigure went to bed, leaving Miguel and Tohru alone in the kitchen.

Tohru seemed to have a lot on her mind, and Miguel wasn't sure if she wanted to talk, so he found a deck of cards and tried to teach her a few games. The distraction had worked well enough, and the two played and talked for a few hours until Tohru couldn't seem to keep her eyes open any longer, and Miguel sent her to bed.

The girl was so tired she hadn't realized that someone was missing from the large shared bed.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

The last day at the beach house seemed to last a lifetime, almost dragging on. Marley had crawled into bed at the summer house only moments before Tohru and Kisa got up and had ended up. Tohru was surprised to see her and tried to wake her for breakfast, but Marley simply said she wasn't hungry and fell back asleep.

Marley's eyes didn't open for the rest of the day, barely shifting from her curled-up position in the bed. Even when Tohru and Kisa asked if she wanted to go to the beach with them, Marley only curled in tighter and insisted the go without her.

The weather was beautiful, the sky clear after the rain last night, and the temperature was perfect for playing in the ocean. But the air around the Sohma's and their guests felt off, Miguel was in a sour mood, and Tohru tried to bring up everyone's spirits, but it was clear that people's minds were elsewhere.

They returned for an early dinner, and Kyo found himself loitering in the upstairs hallway, eyeing the door to the room Marley was sleeping in. He wanted to see her, talk to her. Ask if she was okay, make sure she was alright.

Tohru came into the hallway to check on Marley and ask if she was up for eating something, but seeing Kyo made her pause.

It was hard not to look at Kyo without remembering Akito's words.

But she would never say she knew, what was one supposed to say about such a cruel future.

"Kyo-Kun, do you want to ask Marley-Chan if she wants to come down for dinner?"

"What? No.. doesn't matter to me." He got defensive, but Tohru knew better. Kyo was worried, just like everyone else, it seemed. The brunette carefully opened the door, flooding the darkroom with a small sliver of light. Marley had not moved, still in the same position that it seemed she had been in this morning.

Tohru tried once more to get Marley up for food, but the girl didn't rise, mentioning she would eat later, and Tohru said she would put aside a plate for her.

The orange-haired boy continued to hang out in the hall, he wasn't sure what he waiting for, but he couldn't tear himself away.

All he wanted... was to check on Marley but-

"Kyo?" A high voice broke through the silence, and the Cat nearly jumped out of his skin and turned to see Momiji staring up at him.

"Tyna kill me? Jesus, you have quiet footsteps." Kyo scolded him.

"What the hell happened last night?" Kyo asked Momiji, who looked at the ground. Marley had asked Momiji not to tell anyone.

"I... I can't say...But... I feel like nothing's going to be the same when we leave.." Momiji told him, and Kyo could sense something had indeed changed; there was even an air of maturity around the younger Blonde. It only made Kyo want to ask more questions about the night before.

"I wanted to make happy memories with Marley and Tohru so bad..." Momiji's eyes started to fill with tears, and Kyo couldn't help but sympathize. Marley had been talking about a trip to the beach before summer vacation had even started, excited about all the little things from playing in the sand to watermelon smashing.

Now, on the final day of their summer vacation, Marley was in hiding and Momiji and Tohru had bandages on their faces.

_How did we end up here...why did it end up like this_

Tohru stepped back out and was surprised to see the two boys waiting in the hall.

"She coming to dinner?" Kyo asked, and Tohru just shook her head.

"Do you think Marley-Chan will be able to join is for fireworks? We bought so many, and she loves fireworks." Momiji wanted to see Marley smiling again.

Tohru suggested they eat dinner first, and then Momiji could maybe ask Marley himself before they left for fireworks.

Marley could faintly hear everything in the hallway, and it made her tear up and curl deeper into herself. She felt like she was letting them down.

Marley wished she could be with them.

The throbbing pain in her arm didn't subside; she supposed she could have taken some pain medicine. But she couldn't bring herself to do it, choosing to let the pain stay.

_It's what I deserve._

She just wanted to disappear, and her mind began to drift away again, falling into a deep sleep once more while she heard the faint sounds of everyone heading down to the beach for fireworks.

The air just felt strained somehow, it was clear that Tohru, Miguel and Momiji were trying to keep up spirits, but the Cat of the Zodiac just found it hard to be on that beach and enjoy fireworks without Marley.

"You should go." Haru spoke to him, and the two shared a look, and the duo hair boy nodded to the stairs as everyone was distracted by some sparklers. Kyo scoffed and started making his way back to the house back towards the summer home.

Slipping off his shoes, he walked back upstairs and stood outside Marley's door once more.

"Starting to feel a bit like a creep or something." Kyo softly groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck, he knew he probably shouldn't just be standing outside someone's door like this, but he just had this terrible feeling.

"Marley?" He tried calling but nothing, so he tried again.

"Whatever... whatever is going on. If you need to talk about or... just want someone to sit with, and you can cry, and I'll hand you tissues or something." He bargained, but again there was nothing.

Was she even there?

"Dammit... I'm coming in!" Kyo warned, his voice louder than before, and he opened the door.

The room was dark, the cloth curtains were closed, but the lump on the bed was unmistakable. Kyo walked over to the side, and he could make out her resting face in the low moonlight that was sneaking into the room from the small cracks in the curtains.

Her long hair seemed to flow wildly around her, and she was curled up in the light duvet as well as wearing a thick dark green sweater that looked more appropriate for fall than summer. Kyo also noticed a white square bandage on her temple and small streaks of dried tears on her cheeks.

_Why? Why are you hiding in here... Why are you crying?_

"I'm here for you...just tell me what you need." The words slipped out as he leaned closer to her face, Kyo waited, but there was no response. Kyo even lightly touched her wrist to check for a pulse; she just seemed so still.

"Goodnight, Marley..." And Kyo finally removed himself from her side, taking one last look at her curled-up form before closing the door and went to his own room, sliding into bed, and a feeling of failure washed over him as he tried to sleep.

He wanted to be the one she could lean on if something was wrong... he didn't want her to shut herself away.

The thought of her crying alone just pissed him off, but he didn't know who to start a fight with. It was frustrating, caring for another human being this much.

.

.

..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

Marley stared up at the fading stars, the waves' calming sound, and a faint call of early morning birds. She had woken up in the middle of the night and found herself unable to go back to sleep. So, she snuck out and walked down to the beach, lost in her thoughts.

She thought of those precious to her.

Those who had gone.

Those who were still here.

Slowly, out of that never-ending darkness, peaks of pinks and oranges began to overpower the dark blue of night. Marley looked down at her bandaged right forearm and slowly started unravelling the stained fabric.

The still bright red markings on her skin almost looked angry. It was painful to look at and made her heart crack as well as eyes water. She already knew that it would scar.

A painful reminder of that night.

Then Marley looked back out at the ocean, the calm waves and the sun peeking over. It was still so early, and the beach was so secluded that there was no other soul around.

She was alone

The water looked beautiful and inviting, but still, a part of her was always scared of it, despite knowing how to swim thanks to her step-father. Sometimes she looked at the water and remembered the cruelty of people. The kids who had tried to drown her in the local river because they hated her... based on her strange looks and her mixed blood.

Hateful things they had learned from their close-minded families.

It had been years, but there were things that Marley carried with her, words that felt like knives.

_"Witch!"_

_"Her parents don't even want her! I heard her mother left her as soon as she was born."_

_"Ugly!"_

_"She doesn't belong here!"_

_"Outsider!"_

Cruelty was all around, and just when she thought that she escaped it, it turns out she had befriended a cruel person and was blind to the pain they were causing her loved ones.

She needed help but didn't know where to turn or who to ask.

The girl began to strip herself of her sweater and stepped out of her jean shorts, leaving them on the sand. She walked towards the water; it was cold as her feet dipped in, but she kept moving forward. Taking in a deep breath before she dived in.

Letting the ocean take her.

.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

.

.

Kyo rubbed the sweat off his forehead as he slowed down from a run to a gentle jog. They weren't heading back home for another hour or so, which meant he had time for one last jog on the sand.

But as he slowed down, he took a look at the sand and noticed something odd.

A familiar green sweater, a pair of jean shorts and a long white bandage had faint traces of red on it.

"What the hell?" Kyo asked as he picked up the sweater and looked around the beach before finally looking towards the water.

Standing out in the ocean, the water coming up to around her mid-back, stood a girl with long white-blonde hair. Marley's back was to Kyo as she just stood there, looking out past the horizon.

"MARLEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Kyo yelled, but she didn't move, not an inch.

"OI! ARE YOU INSANE!"

Kyo couldn't understand, and a feeling of rage overcame him as he asked himself various questions.

_Why was she out here?_

_Why was she alone?_

_What if something happened?_

_Was she hurt?_

_Is she ignoring me?_

Kyo groaned and started stomping his way over, walking straight through the water fully dressed, yelling all the way as he fought against the soft waves to get to Marley.

When he was finally within reach, he grabbed her by the shoulders and made her face him, her large eyes widening in shock as she stared at him.

"Kyo?! What are you doing here?"

"Me? What about you? I've been calling and who swims this early in the morning by themselves. What if something happened!"

"I- I just wanted to go for one last swim was all..."

"Do you have any idea how worried I- Everyone was!"

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make anyone worry. I didn't know what else to do..." Marley bowed her head a bit, and Kyo let out a sigh, his grip on her shoulders loosening a bit. Now that the initial shock of seeing Marley out was over, he now took the time to take her in. And his skin went hot as his eyes travelled down and a realization washed over him.

"WHY AREN'T WEARING ANY CLOTHES!" Kyo yelled as he stumbled back through the water and turned around, his cheeks as bright as the red hoodie he was wearing.

Marley let out a small scream as she realized that she had been skinny dipping and dunked herself in the water and covered her chest with her arms.

"I forgot! I didn't think anyone would be here for a bit, and I didn't think-"

"Damn straight you didn't think!" The image of Marley's wet form wasn't leaving Kyo's brain, his heart was racing, and he was praying for his body to behave. Marley's hair had been essentially covering her breasts, but the sight of her standing before him like that.

The teenager's hormones were running wild, and his heart felt like it was going to jump right out of his chest it was beating so fast.

Kyo slipped of the short-sleeved hoodie he had been wearing and peeking over his shoulder to see if Marley was still there. She was, and she was turned away from him, still dunked in the water with only her head peeking out.

Marley felt something draped overhead.

"Wear...this." Kyo had taken off his short-sleeved hoodie so Marley could have something to wear. And hopefully then the teenage boy would be able to put together a proper sentence. It wasn't like he had never seen a naked girl before, he had seen Kagura now and then, and friends had tried to share perverse pictures with him. But none of that compared to the feeling he got in his heart when his orange eyes taken in her beautiful form.

"Oh... Thank you." Marley carefully stood up in the water and slipped on the red hoodie, zipping it up to the highest point that she could.

"You can turn around now." Marley told him and the two teens facing were still flushed, both embarrassed over the event.

"...Are you..okay?"

Kyo expected Marley to lie and say she was fine. But she stared at him for a bit, as if she was really thinking about it. She took in a deep breath before shaking her head.

"You wanna tell me what you're doing out in the middle of the ocean?" Kyo asked as he really was stumped; there were times that he thought he could tell what was on the girl's mind as she tended to wear her heart on her sleeve, but there were moments that she was a complete mystery.

"... I used to be afraid of the water.." Marley admitted, and Kyo tilted his head as he listened.

"An incident happened when I was younger, and I nearly drowned. I didn't go near the water for years, and no one pushed me to get past this fear..." Marley didn't know if her Mama ever found out about the incident as she just seemed to accept that her child had no interest in going swimming.

"Until Mama got married and Bapu learned that I didn't know how to swim." A small smile appeared on her lips when she remembered the look of shock on his face.

"He made it his mission, but I fought back. He had to throw me in the water." Marley laughed even though it definitely hadn't been funny at the time and maybe not the best way to teach someone how to swim.

"But he held me up above the water and told me to take a moment, to breathe and collect myself and realize... that I was safe. He wasn't going to let me drown...Bapu always seemed to know what to do...always knew what to say."

"I wanted to ask him what I should do..." Marley asked as she cupped her hands and held some water, looking at her reflection.

_I feel like I'm drowning... and they're not here to keep me afloat...too weak to keep swimming._

Marley was clearly thinking hard about something, and Kyo hoped he could help her in any way he could. He wanted to reach out and hold her, to stop her shaking and tell her she could lean on him.

But the curse made his options limited.

"If you need someone to talk to.. I'm not the best at comforting or whatever but, if you need someone to vent or whatever, I'm right here.." The cursed boy found himself regretting the words cause he reminded himself that he wouldn't always be here for her. But he needed to say something because he wanted to help her carry whatever load she was dealing with.

"What's that saying...' the truth will set you free but first it will piss you off'?" Marley was thinking out loud, but Kyo held onto every word.

"I learned the truth... Or maybe it's just part of the truth... I found out Akito was the one who-" Marley admitted, and Kyo felt stumped as to what she meant by the statement.

"The truth?"

_How much did Kyo know?_

"I found out how cruel Akito had been to you all and-Maybe it wasn't the best idea but... I didn't know what else to do. I wanted to ask Akito myself, and I think..."

_Apart of me wanted to live in denial... to pretend that I never found out because I'm so ashamed._

"I'm a terrible person..." Marley softly whispered to the wind to herself, but Kyo caught it.

"What?!"

"I've just been enjoying my time with you all, acting as if I'm a Sohma and part of the family... ignorant to all the pain and suffering..."

_I'm not able to protect you at all... I'm useless... unwanted...Nothing but a-_

Marley's left hand subconsciously went to her right forearm, and it didn't go unnoticed by orange eyes. Kyo noticed a bright red mark on Marley's arm and, without asking, reached forward and grabbed Marley's right wrist.

"Wait-" Marley tried to stop Kyo from seeing, but Kyo had a firm grip and felt frozen by the look on the boy's face as he intensely stared at the red markings.

It looked almost like a tattoo, it was bright red against her tanned skin, the mark... were in a specific patter reading...two kanji's reading-

_'Gaijin'_

_Outsider_

"THAT BASTARD DID THIS DIDN'T HE!" Kyo yelled, and Marley slightly winced over Kyo's grip, and he immediately let go when he realized his mistake, cursing his temper as he lowered his eyes in shame.

"I'm sorry!... I'm sorry. I don't mean to; it's just...I hate this.." Kyo meant it. He couldn't believe that Akito had gone with far. Kyo knew that the Zodiacs were at Akito's mercy but Marley... Marley was a free human being, and this happened when she had only wanted to confront the God. For the Zodiac's sakes.

"I was angry...at Akito and myself for not seeing it. For not being trusted enough to know-"

"That not it!"

"I know that because after Akito did this, I had to beg Hatori not to tell Dadaji... because I didn't want him to worry or cause trouble. And that's... that's why you all kept me in the dark.. isn't it? Didn't want me to worry about it... you didn't want me to confront Akito, wanted to protect me..." Marley started crying again, and Kyo could only awkwardly hold her hand that felt almost ice-cold as he stared at the bright red kanji. Marley could feel his stare and wanted to wipe away the sad look in his eyes.

"You're not an outsider... You know that, right? Momiji, Kisa, even that brat Hiro. They love you and are family to them. And your old man would probably hire a hitman on anyone who says different." Kyo tried to comfort, and it ended up making Marley giggle a little.

The word 'Gaijin' itself wasn't a bad word. The was used commonly for foreigners, but the word could be used as slang with the right venom behind it. The kanji's were 'outside' and 'person'. Outsider.

"It doesn't bother me... not as much as I thought. I know I should feel like an outsider... but when I'm with you all...it feels warm and feels like... home." Marley put her hand over her heart, being completely honest in her words. There were times she would always feel maybe just a little out of place, as she always had. But all she had to do was think of the people that stayed by her side and brought love into her life, and she knew...that they were her home.

"Promise me something."

"Hm?"

"Can you just...look after yourself...just, don't go looking for trouble. No good comes from hanging out with that guy...whenever you're with him, I just... It drives me nuts." Kyo hated that Marley would confront Akito for their sake. It was their burden, their curse. And now it was becoming Marley's burden.

"Don't worry...I don't plan on going near Akito anytime soon..." Marley wasn't even sure if she would be able to look Akito in the eye for a very long time.

_Not unless I have to..._

"I'm worried... that if I say something... you'll hate me for it.."

"Wha-"

"I feel sorry for Akito... I know that I shouldn't... that Akito has done terrible things...but I still feel like... he's in pain too." Marley cried out, feeling terrible for admitting this and she honestly wished she didn't.

Kyo couldn't be mad. It was almost expected of Marley at this point. It drove him a little mad, but he also knew that her forgiving heart was a part of her.

And he loved every part.

Kyo reached out and wiped away the tears on her face; the gentle gesture made Marley look up at him with large glassy amethyst eyes.

"You don't hate me?"

"Pfft. Of course not, you weirdo." Kyo shook his head, a small smile on his face, one which she returned.

_I could never_

"Thank goodness, I don't know what I would do without you. You always seem to make things better." Marley let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Kyo, the genuine smile coming through that could make folks stop and stare.

"... you do know you don't have to love everything, right?" Kyo tried to tease, patting the top of her head.

Marley wasn't really sure what Kyo meant, but it sounded silly, so she smiled and laughed a bit. Feeling blessed that Kyo was somewhat forgiving over her feelings about Akito. He was the only one she felt safe sharing this sentiment with.

_I might just be... me, but I need to believe... that I can at least help the ones that I love. Maybe it's presumptuous on my part, but I need to find a way to set them free._

Kyo watched the look on her face as she stared up at the clouds, her eyes filled with a sense of calm as she took a deep breath in and out and her eyes filled with a look of determination.

Before she had been hit over the head, she saw the fear in Akito's eyes. She saw someone falling apart and lonely, and while Marley couldn't outright forgive Akito for all she had done, that didn't stop Marley from feeling sorry for her. The compassionate girl didn't know how or what the curse exactly was, but it was time to start digging.

The amethyst eyed girl wasn't sure what someone like her could do. She wasn't the smartest or the strongest, but she intended to do whatever it took to try and break the curse.

To break this cycle of suffering.

For her precious loved ones.

For her family.

Marley's eyes seemed to be filled with determination and fire as she looked out across the ocean, and Kyo knew there was little he could do to step in her way. So instead, he made a promise to himself. TO support her and be someone to lean on till the very end.

A loud rumble rang through the tranquil sounds of the waves, and Marley's face went bright red.

"That's what you get for hiding in your room all day. Come on, let's get some food." Kyo teased as he grabbed her hand, and they slowly walked through the water back to the shore. Marley eye's travelled from her arm, over the bright red scar down to her hand that was now connected to Kyo's.

The water's current almost felt it wanted to take back out to sea, but Kyo kept Marley with him, keeping her from drifting away. It was a stronghold but not painful, his soft callouses lightly brushing against her skin.

Marley squeezed his hand as if checking it was really there, and he squeezed back. A rush of emotions washed over the young woman as Kyo looked back and gave her a soft smile, which she gladly returned.

It was a strange feeling of relief.

She felt safe.

She felt...

Wanted.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

.

.

Kyo had kept his back turned when Marley changed back into her long-sleeved sweater and jean shorts, covering up the wound. Kyo's clothes were completely soaked, including the hoodie that he had leant her, but he brushed off Marley's concerns, only reminding her to put on a fresh bandage when they got back. When they returned to the house, everyone seemed to be waiting around the living room.

Marley was immediately welcomed back by Kisa, Momiji and Hiro, who huddled around her, asking if she felt better. She smiled at the younger members of the Zodiac, thanking them for worrying about her.

"So...you helped her?" Miguel had nudged Kyo as they stood off to the side and watched as Marley interacted with everyone, and Tohru insisted she sit down and eat something. It was like everyone wasn't on edge anymore like they had been the day before.

Kyo wondered if Marley had any idea the power of her presence, that by merely walking into a room and smiling, she made the world better.

"No... I didn't do anything." Kyo shook his head, and Miguel watched his eye line to where the white –blonde was jokingly being spoon fed some pineapple by Momiji. Marley seemed to feel their eyes and looked over, smiling before being distracted by something Yuki was asking her.

"You're alright, carrot top." Miguel smirked down at him, and even though the boy meant well, Kyo glared up at him for the carrot top comment.

"HAH?!"

"Kyo-Kun, why are you all wet? Did you go swimming in your clothes? That's so silly." Momiji teased as he hopped over to the boy who had the strong smell of saltwater.

"Oh yeah, Marley's hair is wet. Did you guys go swimming?" Hiro asked, and both Kyo and Marley's faces went bright red as they remembered why Kyo's clothes were wet and why Marley's wasn't.

"I GOTTA GO PACK!" The orange-haired boy stormed off, and everyone looked to Marley for an answer, but she quickly stuffed her mouth with white rice. This made everyone more curious, but a bus horn from outside alerted everyone that it was time to go, and the household rushed around to get their bags.

Soon everyone was on the small shuttle bus, and the maids that had come back from the annex wished them a safe trip. Marley was ushered onto the bus by Momiji, who already had Marley's bags in hand and asked if they could sit together all the way home.

"You can even lean on me when you want to sleep, Marley!" Momiji patted his shoulder, and Marley could only giggle as Hiro pointed out that Momiji would have to grow another foot before that could happen. Kyo was the last to get on the bus and headed towards the back.

"It's okay Momiji, I've slept enough, but you can rest on me if you want." Marley suggested, and the Rabbit let out a small cheer as he rested his head on Marley's lap, making himself comfortable. Kyo was about to scold Momiji, but the soft look in Marley's amethyst eyes as she softly patted Momiji's blonde hair made Kyo's protests stop in his throat; he let them be and went to an empty row in the back.

It was impressive how quickly Momiji fell asleep, small little snores leaving his mouth as he slumbered, and Marley hoped he was having good dreams. As he slept, Marley stared out the window, watching the coastline till it disappeared from sight.

The summer vacation was over, and Marley wondered what the future held.

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.

.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> Pinche Pendejo: equivalent to 'fucking asshole',
> 
> Gaijin: Japanese word for foreigners and/or non-Japanese national. The word is composed of two kanji: gai (外, "outside") and jin (人, "person"). Some consider it an ethnic slur and feel that the word has come to have a negative connotation while other observers maintain it is neutral.
> 
> phew, that was a lot. It was hard doing this chapter but it was all worth it. Marley finally learned about a dark side in the Sohma family as she has to figure out what to do next. Should be fun.
> 
> We're finally wrapping up summer vacation, with only a chapter left before the fall term at school starts for our main cast.  
> Please leave a comment and kudos if you enjoyed :)
> 
> Happy New Year and let's hope for a better 2021!


	17. Notice

Hello, 

just wanted to let you know that there will be a delay in upcoming chapters for Stir It Up

I broke my right wrist the other day and it looks like I'll have a cast for at least 8 weeks. I will still do some writing as i still have my left hand to work with and I'll even try to use dictation.

I will still be active on my twitch under my old username if you wanna come by and hang out :)

Much love to all of you and hope you're doing well.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, here we go again!  
> Don't forget to leave kudos and comment if you enjoyed :)  
> Thank you for reading


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